That Holiday Magic
by Sultry Sweet
Summary: During Thanksgiving dinner, Snow and Charming have an announcement that causes Emma to revert back into her 18 year old self - literally. Angry and heartbroken, Emma seeks comfort and refuge with the person who least expects the teen at her door: Regina. Post-Neverland
1. Chapter 1

**That Holiday Magic**

**Chapter 1**

_With a large smile and her long, wispy blonde hair pulled back into a lazy ponytail, Emma Swan happily bounced home. She looked down for the umpteenth time at the paper in her hands and beamed. She'd smiled for so long already, her usually pale cheeks were rosy and her hands had crumpled the sides of the paper with her excited grip._

_The paper had a smiley face sticker in the right hand corner with a circled "A+" next to it. Underneath the grade and sticker was a short comment from the teacher: "Perfect!"_

_That word meant more to Emma than anyone would ever know. Eight years old and she'd been in and out of twelve foster homes, three within the last month, before she'd been given to the Johnson's. No one had ever told her she was good at anything. No one had ever encouraged her to try. No one had ever cared. With the Johnson's, she had started to feel welcome. She felt like she had a chance. The Johnson's had been nice enough to give her a canopy bed like she was some kind of princess. As long as she got good grades, practiced good manners, and remembered to smile, she would always have a place in their home. That's what they had told her when they first took her in and since then, she'd made sure to be smart, polite, and happy._

_When she opened the door to the house, she immediately called out for her foster parents only to find them hugging and smiling in the living room. It looked like such a private, intimate moment, but Emma didn't realize how important the moment was until she spoke up._

"_Look!"_

_Emma held up the paper and waved it in front of the couple as she entered the room._

"_I got an A! I did perfect!"_

_The couple slowly broke away from their loving embrace and looked down at the little girl. Their smiles faded and a thick tension invaded the room. Emma remained unaware._

"_That's...great, Emma," her foster mother struggled to say. "Um, listen, we...we have some news of our own."_

"_What is it," Emma asked and widened her eyes in her ever present excitement. _

"_Sit down, Emma," her foster father ushered her to the couch behind his wife._

_His voice was stern, which left no room for argument, but also gentle as though he didn't want to hurt her feelings._

"_Wh-What's going on," Emma nervously asked as she sunk into the couch._

"_Well, we...uh," her foster mother started. "We found out we're having twins."_

_Emma lit up again._

"_Really?"_

_The couple looked at each other and frowned. Their eyes communicated their discomfort. After a moment, they looked back at Emma and sighed._

"_We...we thought we could handle a new baby _and_ you, but...for the last couple months it's been...difficult," her foster mother explained. "And now with another one on the way..."_

_Emma visibly deflated._

"_But..." Emma shyly started. "But I do good in school."_

"_You do _well_," her foster mother couldn't help herself from correcting the girl._

"_I- I'm nice too. You said if I did good-"_

"_Well," she corrected again._

"_If I did _well_," Emma continued. "And if I was nice, that I could stay."_

"_And you've done all that we asked from you," her foster father said. "But...it's too much. In more ways than one."_

_Emma furrowed her brow and curiously tilted her head to the side._

"_How is it too much?"_

"_We can't support you and our two children. Do you know what that means," her foster mother asked._

_Emma shook her head._

"_We would have two people, plus ourselves, to feed and buy clothes and shoes. We both have jobs so we're not always home, which means we would have to get someone to watch the three of you. That costs money too. We don't have enough time," her foster mother answered._

"_Or energy. And definitely not money," her foster father finished._

"_So...you're sending me back?"_

"_We're sorry, Emma," her foster mother said with some sincerity in her voice._

_Emma would have believed her by her tone alone, but when her foster mother looked at her foster father she no longer thought they were sorry enough to pick the hard way. _

_Because she knew all too well that sending her back to the orphanage was the easy way out. The hard thing to do would be to make it work with her and the new babies, which they'd already decided wouldn't be too difficult since they let Emma live with them for the last two months._

_Emma hadn't come to live with the Johnson's when it was just the two of them. They'd been looking to adopt for nearly a year before they looked into foster care options. By the time someone passed Emma along to them, they were one month away from having a newborn on their hands. They had thought about giving her back before a social worker had even dropped her off, but after a few days of deliberation they decided to give it a try._

_So it made sense when Emma looked at the Johnson's and realized they loved their own children more than they'd ever even _care _about her. She scowled and pouted and her attitude quickly changed from sweet little girl to angry little girl._

_Within five minutes, a social worker arrived at the house and took Emma with her back to the orphanage while the Johnson's prepared to welcome both of their real kids into the world._

_She spent the next several weeks in the orphanage before someone else claimed to want her, but it hadn't mattered. No one really wanted her. They thought they did until it all became real for them that there was a girl, a mere child, with needs they hadn't wanted to fill. It was too late anyway. Her nice girl act had been crushed along with her hope of finding a family. She hadn't been broken yet, but she had been damaged. _

_Angry and lost. That's all she'd ever be from that point on._

* * *

When she had been stuck in Neverland, Emma had spent her days and nights not only worried about getting Henry back, but reliving every childhood trauma. She hadn't necessarily pictured each moment in detail like recalling scenes from a movie, but she remembered how it felt. She'd remembered things she hadn't thought about in years and her emotions had gotten the better of her.

Still, she'd worked twice as hard to bury those issues like she had years ago and focused on saving her son. She had been successful and the misfit group that had joined her, had _helped _her, to get Henry home safely, had all returned to Storybrooke almost eight months ago.

In that near eight months, Henry lived between Emma's apartment and Regina's house and had weekend visits with Neal. Emma and Regina thought the best way for them to share custody would be to each have Henry for a month. Every other weekend, either Regina or Emma would leave him with Neal depending on whose month it was to have him in their guardianship.

It wasn't perfect, but Henry hadn't complained when they came up with the arrangement and after the first two months – one with each mother – he had shared his true feelings about the situation.

On the first night Regina turned Henry over to Emma for the start of the third month, the three of them decided to share dinner per their son's request. He used that dinner to tell them he liked how things were. He said that even if it didn't make things interesting, which it did, that he would still appreciate spending equal time with both of them.

The fact that Emma and Regina had managed to actually get along at that point also made things that much easier to enjoy. Henry had no idea what had happened between them while they were all in Neverland, but he was glad it had happened, whatever it was that had occurred between them. He'd even said as much before the meal had ended.

It was in the back and forth of shared responsibility of raising Henry that Regina and Emma had reached the certain friendship that they had. They had each other's phone numbers, but they didn't talk much unless it had something to do with Henry, although, they sent texts every so often. But of course it usually had to do with their almost twelve year old son. Some conversations, however, started with Henry and ended with familiar banter unrelated to him. They joked about past events like taking a chainsaw to an apple tree, breaking into the Mayor's office with a lame excuse, using magic together, one or more jealous parties when Tinkerbell or Hook were involved, and Regina sleeping in a bed that Emma caught Snow and Charming having sex in.

Those texts had become more common – more frequent – than not, which was why it hadn't surprised Emma when her phone vibrated with a new text from Regina.

"**Why did your mother just invite me to dinner?"**

Emma groaned and rolled her eyes after she read the message. She only took a few seconds to process what she'd read before she typed out a response.

"_Thanksgiving dinner. She wants everyone together. I think she even used the word 'family' to describe everyone."_

The reply was almost instantaneous.

"**Like hell I'm that woman is family. And I will not subject myself to her cooking."**

"_Actually, she wants YOU to cook."_

"**Of course she does. Well, you can tell her I won't do it. I'm not even going!"**

"_Is that what you told her?"_

"**I told her if she wanted to know how I really felt about joining her for dinner, she should consult our long and painful history."**

"_You realize she'll probably just guilt you into coming because you owe her for all your attempts to kill her, right?"_

"**She can try, but I'm not going to a family dinner, especially if SHE'S the one hosting it."**

Emma's response was a little slower that time when the front door to the apartment opened then loudly shut, though it hadn't been slammed out of anger.

"_Then don't come for her. Come for Henry."_

"**He and I have always had Thanksgiving dinner at my place."**

"Hey, Ma," Henry said as he walked into the kitchen and dropped his backpack next to the stool beside Emma. "Who are you texting?"

"None of your business," Emma said as she tried to type out a response to Regina.

"Is it Neal?"

"No. Why would you think that?"

"Because you always get a little cranky when you're talking to him."

"It's not Neal. And I'm not cranky."

"Then who is it," he slowly asked as he leaned in close and tried to read a name or at least some of the previous messages.

"Henry, stop it," Emma shooed him away.

"**Emma? I will not let you keep my son from me. We have a tradition!"**

Henry didn't relent. He tried over and over to get a closer to look. He even resorted to sticking his hand in Emma's face to prevent her from reading the new text.

"Henry!"

"I want to see," Henry exclaimed as he kept one hand in her face and used the other to swipe the phone from Emma.

"Give it back," Emma yelled.

Henry ran from the kitchen toward the stairs that led to Emma's room and looked over the texts between his blonde mother and...

His eyes widened when he realized Emma had been texting his brunette mother, but the shock wore off once he caught himself up on their conversation. Before Emma reached him at the stairs and tried to take back her phone, Henry sent Regina a response.

"_Mom, it's Henry. I want to have dinner with everyone."_

"**Henry?"**

"_Just took Emma's phone. She's angry. Yes or no?"_

"**Yes or no to what?"**

"_Are you coming to dinner?"_

Regina took more than a few minutes to mull over her answer before she typed it. Her thumb hovered over the 'send' button when a new text came in.

"_I reall y eszxdvyp9 "_

Regina questioningly stared at the text over and over again. Each time she read it, it seemed to make less and less sense.

Emma yanked her phone out of Henry's hand and shoved him away from the stairs with her hand on his back after a short wrestle with him.

Henry reluctantly lurched toward the living room due to Emma's force, but didn't fall over. He slowed himself to a normal walking pace and went back to the kitchen for a snack.

Emma growled out of frustration when she saw what wrestling with Henry caused the boy to type and then send to Regina.

"_Sorry. Tried to get my phone back. Henry accidentally sent that during our little fight. It's Emma, by the way."_

Regina didn't save the message she was about to send before she received the strange text from Emma's phone. Instead, she deleted it without a second thought and read Emma's apologetic explanation for the previous text then typed out a completely different response.

"**Fight? I hope it wasn't physical."**

"_Only slightly. Kid's fine."_

Before Regina could scold Emma for her behavior, her phone alerted her with another text.

"_Apparently, he was trying to say 'I really want you come'. He wanted me to tell you that."_

Regina relaxed and faintly smiled. She re-typed out her answer to Henry's question when he'd still been in possession of Emma's phone. Though the words were a little different, the message was still the same.

"**Tell him I'll be there. What time is the dinner?"**

Emma's responses came quicker from that point on, as quick as they first had when the two of them began texting.

"_Didn't Mary Margaret tell you when she asked you over?"_

"**I may not have been paying attention. I have to tune her out most times to control my anger."**

"_Dinner starts at 7"_

"**And she wants me to cook?"**

"_Not the whole meal. Let me check what she wants..."_

Ten minutes later, Emma finally had an answer for Regina and sent a response.

"_She wants you to make sweet potatoes and the gravy."_

"**Fine. Just tell her I will destroy her if that turkey is dry."**

Emma laughed at the text even as she sent a reply.

"_Will do :)"_

* * *

Brown, red, and yellow-green colored leaves rustled in front of the white house with royal blue shudders. Chilly Maine air slapped Emma in the face and whipped around her long, blonde hair.

Emma stood at the end of the narrow pathway that led from the street to the grand house – though not as grand as Regina's mansion, which the recently re-elected Mayor mentioned every chance she got.

Emma puffed out a sigh and noted how chapped her lips had become from the late fall weather. She figured if her lips hurt with even the slightest of movements, her cheeks were probably partially rosy from the cold.

"Come on, Mom," Henry said as he sprang from the yellow Bug parked in the driveway, something Emma could never do if they were having dinner at Regina's.

Henry patted Emma's back as he jogged toward the front door, a smile on his face that displayed his happiness as well as his eagerness.

With her hands still stuffed in her coat pockets, Emma hesitantly walked up to the front door. She reached out and rang the doorbell.

Within a minute, the door opened and a surprised but happy Snow White smiled at her daughter then down at her grandson.

"Emma, Henry, come in! You didn't have to ring the bell," Snow said as she grabbed Emma's arm and gently pulled the blonde into the house while Henry already hurried inside in front of them.

"Sorry, I just...didn't know the protocol. Things are still a little confusing between the Storybrooke personalities and Enchanted Forest ones."

"Even after Neverland," Snow asked as she frowned at Emma and closed the door behind them.

Snow forced a smile anyway, however, and linked her arm in Emma's as she led the blonde to the dining room.

"Well, maybe this will clear some things up. You are always welcome here and you don't need to ring the doorbell or knock when you stop by."

"Yeah, okay," Emma said as she shrugged out of her mother's lazy embrace.

Snow and Emma entered the dining room and Emma looked around at the table. It was extended for the holiday dinner, though it usually only seated four on a normal day, and everything but the turkey had been set out. Cranberry sauce, stuffing, mashed potatoes, green beans, and cornbread adorned the elegant, creamy white tablecloth. They surrounded the two unlit, red tapers that were evenly placed on each end of the table.

The chandelier over the center of the table dimly, lit the room and cast soft shadows on the four off-white, almost beige colored, walls. Though it wasn't big, it was much more than Emma ever got to experience as a kid. Everything seemed so precious and warm and inviting. It seemed...conventional. Though Emma felt she was never one for the big family dinners anyway. But when she saw Snow and Charming's dining room like that it made her tame her wild, mostly _un_conventional side, and enjoy what that particular dinner appeared to offer.

"Wow. This looks great, Grandma," Henry smiled at the set up as he stood behind one of the chairs at the table.

He wasn't shocked or in awe of the display like Emma was, but when she had started to question why that was, she remembered he'd spent the last ten Thanksgiving dinners with Regina. She inwardly smiled with the knowledge that her son had been taken care of. All she could have given him if she had decided to keep him didn't come close to everything he did get without her.

"Where can I sit," Henry asked Snow.

Snow beamed at Henry's joy and placed her hands on his shoulders as she stood behind him.

"Wherever you want."

"I want to sit next to you," he said.

"I would love that," Snow exclaimed. "I'm sitting here."

Snow pointed to the chair one seat over from the seat Henry stood behind. He didn't hesitate to move to the chair to his right and sit down. Within seconds, he'd made himself comfortable in the seat to Snow's left.

Emma looked around at the empty table, save for the side dishes, fancy red napkins, and fine china, and noticed the vacant seats.

"Are we early," Emma asked.

"Just barely," Charming said as he came in from the kitchen with the turkey. "We're actually running a little behind schedule."

Charming set the turkey down in front of Snow's place setting at what Emma assumed was the head of the table.

"Why's that," Henry asked.

"I wasn't feeling well," Snow replied as she rubbed Henry's back just below his neck.

"Are you sick," Henry persisted.

"I was," Snow casually nodded. "But I'm feeling much better now. Especially now that you're here, sitting next to me."

Henry smiled up at her.

"So, Emma hasn't fed me since lunch and I'm getting hungry. When's dinner starting? My mom usually starts at about 5. It's six-thirty."

"Henry," Emma warned.

Henry turned to Emma and sighed.

"Sorry, that was kind of rude, wasn't it," Henry stated.

It wasn't a question because he already knew the answer.

"It's okay," Charming chuckled, amused. "I'm kind of hungry myself. Your grandmother made sure I didn't ruin my dinner so I haven't eaten since lunch either."

"We'll eat as soon as everyone else arrives."

"Everyone? I thought it was just going to be all of us and Regina," Emma nervously spoke.

Charming ruffled Henry's hair with a smile on his way over to Emma and wordlessly took her black pea coat, something she had started wearing after she'd returned from the Enchanted Forest in place of her worn and currently discolored red leather jacket.

"Well, we also invited Neal," Snow explained, a little too perky for Emma's liking.

"Why," Emma practically growled her question.

"Because he's family," Snow innocently shrugged.

Charming took Emma's coat to the foyer and hung it up on the coat rack next to the front door.

As if on cue, when Charming had finished adjusting Emma's coat on the rack, the doorbell rang. He opened the door and on the other side stood a nervous looking Neal.

Neal, in his defense, looked slightly uncomfortable but held up a wine bottle with one hand as though he was displaying it for a couple at a high-class restaurant.

"Are your ears burning," Charming asked as he looked Neal over, his smile still present but much less jovial.

"What?"

Neal looked completely lost and the unexpected question caused him to shift from one foot to the other in the doorway.

Charming gave a small laugh.

"Never mind. Come in," Charming said as he stepped aside and motioned for Neal to enter.

"Thanks," Neal said as he passed through the threshold.

Neal nervously rubbed the back of his neck and turned to Charming as the man closed the door behind him.

"I, uh, figured you already had some wine, but I didn't want to show up empty handed."

Neal handed the bottle of wine over to Charming.

Charming calmly accepted the wine and inspected the label when it passed from Neal's hands to his.

"Good year," Charming noted.

"Yeah, I, uh, had some extra cash. Thought made it would help my case if I didn't look cheap."

Charming questioningly looked up at Neal as the two stood in the foyer, Charming looking right at home – which he was – and Neal looking like a nervous wreck.

"I get the feeling you're expecting me to hit you or something."

Neal shrugged.

"Guess I'm still waiting for a punch in the face from the infamous Charming. I heard you clocked Hook for double crossing you and I'm sure you already know what happened between me and Emma so..." Neal trailed off, unable to finish his sentence – not that he needed to. Both he and Charming understood the sentence, incomplete or not.

"Well, I probably should do something about you sending her to jail for _your _mistake, but...I'm not going to do that tonight. It's Thanksgiving and we're finally all together so, for now, the past is irrelevant."

"Thanks...again," Neal awkwardly smiled, though he and Charming knew he was sincerely appreciative.

Charming nodded and gave a single pat to Neal's back. He gripped the man's shoulder and led Neal into the dining room to join his family. Once in the dining room, he slid his hand off Neal's shoulder and walked back toward the head of the table to stand beside Snow with the wine.

"Guess that just leaves Regina," he said.

"Wait, Regina's coming," Neal asked on his way over to Henry then turned his full attention to the boy. "Hey, bud."

"Hey," Henry kindly greeted, though he wasn't as happy to see Neal as he had been to see his grandmother.

Neal ruffled Henry's hair then wrapped his arm around the kid's shoulder and gently squeezed him into a half-hug, which was returned with a loose arm wrapped around Neal's waist. When they separated, he turned to Emma and flashed a nervous smile that disappeared as quickly as it had been formed.

"Hi," he quietly said.

"Neal," Emma curtly greeted.

Neal cleared his throat and looked down at the ground as he turned and made his way to the other side of the table. He motioned to the seat across from the empty one on Henry's side of the table as he approached it and looked up at Snow and Charming.

"Is this seat taken," he asked.

Snow smiled at Neal's shy behavior. She didn't necessarily like the man that had broken her daughter's heart, but she could tell he was trying to be there for both Henry and Emma.

"No," Snow answered.

Just when all eyes were about to fall on Emma because the blonde remained standing, and tensely so, her phone vibrated in the back pocket of her tight jeans.

Emma grabbed the phone and looked down to see the display alert her with a new text message from Regina. She opened the message and frowned at what she read.

"**I don't think I'm going."**

"_You don't THINK you're coming? What about Henry?"_

"Emma, why don't you sit down," Charming asked and motioned to the table.

Emma only looked up from her phone to see Charming pull a Vanna White and showcase the dining table. Her phone vibrated in her hands during the start of what Emma predicted to be an awkward silence so she redirected her attention back to her phone.

"**I don't want to sit through dinner with your mother."**

"_Well, dinner's starting soon and Henry's hungry."_

"Emma?"

Snow curiously called out to the blonde and started to approach her.

"What is it," Snow asked once she was a step away from being able to touch her daughter.

"Uh, just... I don't know," Emma admitted as she shook her head and backed away from Snow before the woman could put her motherly hands on her.

Emma avoided eye contact and stared at her phone as if willing it to light up with another text from Regina.

Sure enough, it did. Thankfully before things got any more awkward.

"**Come outside."**

Emma glanced up at Snow then quickly acknowledged Charming's presence.

"Hang on. I've to check on something," Emma said before she flew to the front door and stepped onto the small porch.

Emma immediately felt the chill of the fall weather and decided it was much colder without a coat. She looked down at her phone for another text from Regina, something that maybe explained the brunette's vague demand. No new messages had come through in her short jog out to the porch so Emma wrapped her arms around herself to fight the cold and looked around the front yard.

Emma curiously narrowed her eyes on the unlit section of curb in front of the house and saw a shadow. A shadow shaped like the hood of a car.

The Benz.

Emma cautiously stepped off the porch and headed down the narrow walkway she'd hesitantly come up not more than ten minutes ago. She stopped at the curb and knocked on the passenger's side window.

Emma opened her mouth, but before she could call out to the other woman she suspected remained inside, she heard the door unlock.

Emma pulled the handle and opened the door.

"Get in," Regina quickly said, again cutting off Emma before the blonde could even manage a single syllable.

Emma sighed and grabbed the plastic wrapped bowl of sweet potatoes and set them on the dashboard before she slid into the passenger's seat then closed the door.

"How long have you been here," Emma asked as she turned in the seat to face Regina.

"I was just behind your boyfriend when we turned down this street," Regina bitterly said.

"He's not my boyfriend," Emma quickly and tiredly insisted before something struck her as odd. "He didn't see you?"

"Of course not," Regina said as though the answer were obvious. "He turned down the street before I did and I'd recognize Gold's unsightly Cadillac anywhere so I waited a minute or two at the stop sign then turned down the street. I pulled up just as Charming shut the door after letting Neal in."

"Okay," Emma slowly said, a little confused by Regina's actions and yet, she didn't push the subject any further. "So are you just going to sit in here like some stalker all night or are you gonna come in?"

"Did you get a look at the turkey?"

"Uh, yeah?"

"Was it dry?"

"Oh my god," Emma resisted the urge to wipe her hands over her face out of frustration. "Are you asking so that if you know it's dry you'll just up and leave? You'd really promise Henry you'd be here just to leave him because Mary Margaret doesn't cook to your standards?"

Regina closed her eyes as she sighed and sat back in her chair. She looked absolutely defeated and so unlike her usually regal, put together self.

"You really don't want to have dinner with them, do you."

"Why would I," Regina almost snapped. "It's not like I'm really wanted. Except for Henry, no one else wants me in that house. A house that _I_ got them, by the way!"

"I know."

"Maybe if I finally told them that then they'd accept my presence more. That house was just out of their price range. If I hadn't paid half the down payment and a quarter of the first mortgage payment, they wouldn't be living here."

"I _know_."

"How you manged to convince me to help them out is beyondme," Regina added.

Emma smiled.

"It's in the family genes," Emma teased. "I'm _charming_, remember?"

Regina rolled her eyes then turned her head to look at Emma.

"Come on, Regina. It's warm inside, there's a bunch of food, the place looks really nice, and Henry's not the only one that could benefit from you being here."

They sat in silence for a few more seconds before Emma appealed to another side of Regina, the more material side, to sell the woman on the idea of joining them all for dinner.

"And the longer you sit here," Emma started. "The more likely that gravy is going to stink up your car."

Emma pointed to the gravy Regina had carefully concealed in two separate on-the-go coffee thermos' that sat in the cup holders between them.

Regina almost rolled her eyes again, but stopped herself as she looked down at the gravy and silently sighed.

"I guess you're right."

"You _know _I'm right," Emma smirked. "Are you ready?"

Regina's eyes flicked up to met Emma's gaze. She looked timid and unsure as she looked at the blonde.

"Not even a little bit," Regina confessed.

"Well, neither am I," Emma said as she reached over the center console and took Regina's hand in hers. "But just like in Neverland, our chances are better when we're together."

"That almost rhymed. And honestly, it's unsettling to have you sound like a pathetic romanticist poet."

Emma squeezed Regina's hand as her smile spread from hearing Regina's words then let go and grabbed a gravy filled thermos and the bowl of sweet potatoes she'd set on the dashboard.

"Then let's get inside so I can shut up," Emma said as she opened the passenger's door.

"Are you sure that's all it will take," Regina teased with a grin as she opened her own door, grabbed the other gravy thermos and exited her Mercedes.

Emma smirked in silent laughter and shut her door just before Regina did the same.

"Only one way to find out."

Regina and Emma made their way up the walkway together, but Regina frowned down at the thermos in her hand when they were halfway to the front door.

"I really wished I had a better way of transporting the gravy. This is just tacky," Regina sniffed at her own mistake.

Emma chuckled.

"It's fine. I wouldn't expect you to try and bring the gravy in this really expensive gravy boat knowing you have to drive across town with it with the gravy sloshing around in it. Even with plastic wrap, it's still an accident waiting to happen."

"I should have done it anyway."

"Then you'd be crazy," Emma laughed then lifted the thermos to her nose as she opened it. "This smells really good. Can I have a little taste?"

"No," Regina firmly said.

"Why not? It's not like I'm gonna get my germs on the rest of it. Just a little on the lid of the thermos."

"You can have some when we eat."

"Geez. Now you're just confusing me."

"What's so confusing about me refusing your juvenile requests? That happens almost daily."

"Well, with all the parenting going on, I'm not sure who my mom really is. You or Mary Margaret. Is there something you forgot to tell me," Emma joked with a lopsided smirk.

Regina rolled her eyes.

"I am _not _your mother."

Emma laughed at the displeased expression on Regina's face.

"Thank god for that," Emma said once her laughter subsided.

Regina looked at Emma with a raised eyebrow, not sure how to interpret Emma's response, but she didn't get the chance to question the younger woman. Instead, she was subjected to join Emma inside when Snow opened the front door and let them in.

"Regina. I'm glad you decided to come," Snow greeted her former stepmother.

Regina only hummed in response and looked around. Her gaze swept across the first floor from left to right and she noticed the study on her right at the front of the house, behind the coat rack. Then she took in the staircase before her that didn't twist and turn like her own staircase at home. As she continued to scan the first floor, she saw the archway that led straight into kitchen from the foyer and archway to the dining room on her left.

Everything seemed pristine and well-furnished. She couldn't complain about the appearance or lay out of the house, though she of course preferred hers over the Charming household.

Someone grabbed the thermos out of her hand and when she turned to see who had dared take something from her, especially when the action had uncomfortably jarred her from her thoughts, she realized it had been Emma.

"I'll take these into the kitchen," Emma offered with a small smile meant to calm Regina.

Emma could see how on edge the brunette was and for some reason, she felt compelled to ease the other woman's mind. When she first realized her sudden need to help Regina in certain ways she'd never wanted or needed to do before, she blamed it on their time in Neverland. She still blamed it on Neverland even as she took the thermos from Regina.

"Thank you," Regina warily said as she shrugged out of her coat.

As Emma made her way toward the kitchen, Regina placed her coat on the rack and reluctantly walked into the dining room, several steps behind Snow.

Emma set both thermos' on the counter and rummaged through a few different cupboards before she found a gravy boat, the one and only that her parents owned apparently. She figured she could blame Regina's curse for that since she assumed a Prince and Princess would certainly have more than just one gravy boat.

But information like that didn't matter.

Emma shook her head free of small questions like, "How many gravy boats do royals have in their possession" and just poured the gravy into the boat. She emptied a complete thermos and most of the second one since the gravy boat limited how much gravy it could actually take. When finished, she slid her finger over the lip of each thermos to keep them clean then peeked into the kitchen in case Regina could see her.

Fortunately, she had no one's attention –something she was all too used to – so she licked her finger and had that little taste of the gravy Regina had earlier denied her.

The gravy had still been plenty warm and it went smoothly down Emma's throat. It was just thick enough to satisfy, but not too thick to the point of overcompensating for, oh say: dry turkey?

Emma smiled, her finger still in her mouth, when Charming called for her from the dining room.

"Coming!"

Emma removed her finger from her mouth and quickly but carefully grabbed the gravy boat as she moved toward the other room.

When she rejoined the group, she saw Regina in the seat beside Henry, which only left one other seat available unless she forced Charming out of his chair at one end of the table.

Emma frowned and set down the gravy boat down on the table in the space between Snow and Henry. She then walked behind Snow and Charming as Charming stood beside Snow, who had already sat down at the head of the table, and took the place setting next to Neal. She tried to keep her expression neutral, indifferent. In that moment, she hoped that if she'd learned anything from Regina that it was the trick to hiding emotions. She didn't realize it wouldn't be the only time that night she'd hope for that.

"Oh, Emma," Snow apologetically started. "Would you light the candles, please?"

Emma resisted the urge to sigh as she wordlessly stood from her seat and took the proffered lighter from Snow. She held the end over the lighter over the taper closest to her and clicked the trigger.

A flame flickered out of the end of the lighter and burned the unused white wick. She waited until a flame ignited the wick, separate from the one that came from the lighter. She let go of the trigger and lighter's flame vanished in an instant. She backed away from the table and walked around Neal's chair and partially reached over him to light the other taper.

The hem of her long sleeve green shirt slid up enough to expose a strip of skin between her belly button and the waistband of her jeans. She felt a minute draft hit her in that spot, but didn't pay much attention to it, though both Neal and Regina paid very close attention. Emma, however, remained oblivious to that fact.

With both tapers lit, Emma moved back toward the head of the table and held out the lighter for Snow to take.

"Thank you," Snow said as Charming accepted the lighter instead.

Emma sat down again while Charming quickly set it aside on the side table against the wall that separated the dining room from the foyer. Once the lighter was out of the way, Charming sidled up to Snow yet again and rested a hand on her shoulder. The two of them smiled and lovingly gazed at each other.

As Emma looked at them, the couple so lost in their own world at the time, she recognized an ethereal glow to Snow. For the first time that night, she saw that it wasn't just Snow's beaming expression that seemed different about the woman. It was that glow. Emma couldn't put a name on what it was that caused Snow to appear peaceful and carefree, but she didn't think too much about it.

"Um, Grandma?"

Henry snapped both Snow and Charming out of their little moment and the couple turned their attention to the boy.

Henry opened his mouth as if to say something, but his stomach beat him to the punch and growled. Loudly.

"Oh," Snow said as she came to a realization then chuckled. "Sorry, Henry. We're just about to feed you. I promise."

"When was the last time you ate," Regina asked like a concerned mother.

"At one," Henry answered before he glared at Emma.

Regina followed his gaze and looked at Emma across the table, opposite Henry.

"What did you feed him? One cracker? It sounds like he hasn't eaten all day!"

"Relax. He had a turkey sandwich. Tomatoes, lettuce, _light _mayo. It's your stupid diet for him that's making him so hungry."

"Well, you could have given him a snack at four."

"What kind of snack? You hate it when he eats burgers or fries or heaven forbid he enjoys a chocolate shake every once in a while," Emma argued.

Regina scoffed.

"Guys," Henry whined. "I'm _really _hungry. Can you two fight about this later?"

Emma and Regina regarded their son before they looked at each other.

"Fine," Regina huffed.

Emma rolled her eyes as she crossed her arms over her chest and leaned back in her chair.

Snow cleared her throat and rose from her seat.

Charming slid his arm off her shoulder only to wrap his arm around her waist and keep her close.

"Before we keep Henry any longer from his food, Charming and I have a few things to say," Snow started with an excited smile.

The couple had everyone's attention.

"In honor of Thanksgiving," Snow continued. "We'd like to say how thankful we are that Henry is here and he's safe."

Henry smiled at that.

Emma, Regina, and Neal all warmly smiled at him like three loving and appreciative parents. Because that's what they were. All of them couldn't have been happier that Henry was back home and out of harms way.

"We're also thankful to have all of you here with us tonight," Snow went on after a moment of pause. "Because we consider _all _of you family."

Snow and Charming looked at Regina specifically when Snow said, "all."

Regina gulped, but otherwise remained stoic.

"And, with that in mind," Snow beamed as she continued, seemingly unable to contain her enthusiasm for what else she had to say. "We'd like to announce that..."

Snow paused in her speech to gleefully look up at Charming. She was even more joyous to see his large smile when he looked back at her. After a moment, Snow turned back to the four other people in the room and placed her hand on her stomach before she finished.

"We're having a baby."

Regina and Neal stared at Snow and Charming, their mouths agape and both utterly speechless. Henry responded the same way until a few seconds later, he slowly started to smile.

"Awesome," Henry said. "This means I'm gonna have an aunt or uncle now, right?"

Charming and Snow laughed.

"Yeah, it does," Charming confirmed.

"Yes," Henry victoriously hissed his approval then jumped out of his chair and hugged Charming.

"I mean, it'll be a little weird since they'll be younger than me," Henry added when he pulled away from Charming. "But I can teach them all about the world and fairy tales. 'Cause, let's face it. I'm probably not gonna get a brother or sister from any of my parents."

"Henry," Regina and Neal simultaneously scolded him.

When they each heard the echo, Regina and Neal looked at each other for a few seconds.

Then it dawned on Regina that there was one voice missing from the joint scolding. She looked across the table at Emma and noticed the blonde only stared blankly ahead, her eyes cast down as if she was looking at the table. But Emma's unfocused gaze told Regina she was lost in her thoughts and the younger woman's drained expression let Regina know just how Emma felt.

Emma sat completely still for once in her life. She felt like she'd been punched in the stomach when Snow had announced her pregnancy. She wanted to be happy for them, like she knew she should have been, but all she could do was retreat into her own mind.

Her arms were still crossed over her chest and she still casually leaned back in her chair. She hadn't moved since the end of her argument with Regina about Henry's eating provisions. Even though she wanted to run as far away as she could in that moment, she couldn't even find the strength to sit up straight.

"So...are you already pregnant," Neal asked, clearly inept at what else to say.

"Yes," Snow lightly laughed at his expense.

"Right. Uh, cool," Neal said. "I mean, uh, congratulations."

"Thank you," Charming said with smile.

Just as Snow and Charming looked at Emma, Regina cleared her throat and dragged their attention away from the other woman, who was obviously in shock.

"How far along are you," Regina asked.

Snow smiled, grateful that Regina seemed genuinely interested.

Neal looked to his left and noticed Emma's reaction. It took him several seconds before it hit him that he knew exactly why Emma looked the way she did.

"Twelve weeks," Snow answered Regina.

"Em-" Neal quietly tried to get Emma's attention and reached for her hand.

Emma jerked away from his touch and finally sat up.

"You hardly look twelve weeks," Regina feigned surprise and even a hint of envy.

Snow blushed and averted her gaze. Though Regina's diversion tactic worked on the pixie-haired brunette, Charming was evidently immune.

Charming looked over at his daughter and frowned when he saw Emma pout.

"Emma? Is everything okay," Charming calmly asked, though concern coated his words.

At the sound of her husband's voice and her daughter's name, Snow abandoned her conversation with Regina and looked at Emma. She too frowned when she saw the blonde's less than thrilled expression.

"Emma?"

Emma snapped out of her sad thoughts and looked up at Snow and Charming, her parents. She blinked and licked her lips and suddenly, she appeared normal again. It was as if her actions had rebooted her like a struggling computer.

"That's great," Emma said with a well-faked happiness.

The only two people that caught on to her real mood were Regina and Neal, but neither said anything.

Snow and Charming smiled at Emma, though they still seemed a little worried that something wasn't right with their daughter's odd behavior. And yet, they gave her the benefit of the doubt and bought her lies.

"Right. Well," Charming broke the moment with a more princely smile. "I say we eat."

"Yeah," Henry exclaimed.

"If you five wouldn't mind, you can start filling up your plates with the sides," Charming said as he picked up the carving utensils.

Snow sat down and started them off by serving herself two large spoonfuls of stuffing while Charming got to work on the turkey.

To keep herself busy, Emma grabbed Regina's sweet potatoes and uncovered them then dropped a good portion of them on her plate. When Snow tried to pass her the stuffing, she figured they were passing everything to right and handed the sweet potatoes to Neal.

"Thank you for making the sweet potatoes, Regina. And the gravy. I'm sure it's as amazing as I remember," Snow said as Regina grabbed the cornbread that had already been cut into mostly even squares and placed a single piece on her place then gave the pan to Henry.

"More like orgasmi-" Emma started to say, but cut herself off a little too late and immediately looked up at Henry before her eyes fell on Regina.

Just before she could finish her compliment, she realized she not only just outed herself for tasting the gravy even after Regina told her she couldn't, but she almost said the word "orgasmic" in front of her eleven year old son.

Fortunately when she looked at Henry, he only seemed mildly disturbed by her choice of words. He hardly seemed to know what the word meant, especially since Emma hadn't even finished saying it.

Unfortunately, Regina stared at Emma with a raised eyebrow that silently dared her to confess her disobedience and face the consequences. She had been in the process of buttering her cornbread when, mid-spread, Emma had decided to speak. She immediately stopped to glare at the woman, especially once she heard Emma compare the gravy to a sexual experience.

Emma cleared her throat and shoveled some stuffing on her plate before she passed it to Neal. She kept her eyes down except for when she took food from Snow, careful not to clumsily spill it or drop the plates handed to her.

When Emma decided to stay quiet, Regina resumed buttering her cornbread with a small amount of the fatty substance.

"Apparently, you'll probably be pleased with the gravy," Regina finally replied to Snow's comment. "If your daughter's recommendation is anything to go by."

Snow nervously laughed under her breath.

The awkwardness of that particular dinner hadn't ended there. It appeared that Snow and Charming's announcement led to further uncomfortableness and Emma's reaction to it had been the catalyst. Thirty minutes into the dinner, the family had run out of things to say. When everyone had stopped talking and the tension in the room could have been carved like the turkey they'd been enjoying, all anyone heard for the next few minutes was silverware clanking and scraping against plates.

Then, as if it were the best thing to do in such a situation, Snow revisited the topic she hadn't quite realized had started the dinner's downfall.

"So, Regina," Snow hesitantly started as everyone seemed to finish with their first servings. "I've already talked to Red and she's offering to throw me a baby shower."

Regina suddenly dropped her fork and it clattered against her plate then looked up at Snow.

At the same time, Emma froze before she could lift her own fork to her mouth and continue to enjoy Regina's homemade gravy. She slowly lowered her fork, but didn't drop it onto her plate like Regina had done. Instead, she zoned out again. Though it wasn't exactly zoning out because she still heard the rest of the conversation.

"It seems strange to ask, but...I don't know. I...I'd like it if you came to the shower," Snow said.

"You want me to attend your baby shower," Regina flatly, though incredulously, stated.

"Yes," Snow smiled in an attempt for her request to be more well-received.

"Ruby already knew you were pregnant," Emma asked, unable to resist knowing the answer.

"Well, yes. She sensed something was different about me and she's my best friend so I just...told her," Snow shrugged with a small smile.

The woman hadn't caught on to Emma's discomfort with the subject. Of course, neither had Charming. But not even Regina could deny him credit because he at least narrowed his eyes at Emma and seemed to question her reaction. It was more than Snow could have said in that moment.

"Oh," was all Emma could say.

She nodded like she understood and started to move her food around her plate instead of eating it.

"Um, how long has she known," Emma timidly asked, almost afraid to know the answer and yet still curious to find out.

"I think I told her sometime last week? Or maybe it was at the end of the week before last. I'm not sure."

Emma stopped playing with her food and just sat still for another moment.

Neal worriedly looked at her, as did Regina.

Henry kept his attention on his food and grabbed seconds of certain things like Regina's sweet potatoes and the stuffing.

Charming focused on Emma and struggled to decipher her mood. It started to frustrate him that he hadn't yet been able to understand his own daughter, but any time he thought like that he made the excuse that she hardly talked about how she felt. In a way, he'd placed the blame of their lack of communication on Emma, but he also knew that was wrong. So he kept trying, and failing, to figure Emma out.

"I'm kind of tired," Emma slowly said as she gently set her fork down on her plate.

Snow frowned.

"I think I'm gonna go," Emma added as she stood up.

"What," Snow sadly questioned the blonde's decision.

Henry set down his silverware and looked down, disappointed. After a second, he also stood with a frown that immediately crushed Regina to see.

Emma chose the lesser of two evils and chose to walk behind Neal's chair instead of her mother's. When she started to cross behind Charming, she saw Henry walk past Regina and toward her.

"Bye, Grandma. Grandpa," Henry quietly and morosely said.

When Henry went to hug Regina, Emma shook her and turned Henry to face herself. He was the only thing between her and Regina.

"No, you're staying," Emma softly told him.

"But I'm staying with you for another two weeks," Henry said, confused.

"You can stay with Regina tonight."

Emma looked to Regina and silently asked if that was okay.

Regina nodded when she saw a glimmer of desperation in the younger woman's eyes.

"Are you okay," Henry asked.

"Yeah," Emma forced a smile. "I'll be fine. See ya later."

Emma bent down and kissed Henry's temple then hugged him against her chest with one hand on the back of his head and the other placed between his shoulder blades on his back. When she let him go, she swiftly turned and grabbed her coat on the way out.

By the time she shut the front door behind herself and threw her coat on as she hurried down the walkway, tears spilled down her cheeks while she choked back soft sobs.

* * *

**A/N: First of all, huge thanks to **sea-ess-eye **for giving me the green light for this story considering how close it comes to her story **Double Trouble**, which you should read if you haven't yet! Also, on Tumblr, I credited two other stories for giving me the idea for this story because there are some elements that are very similar and I didn't want to be rude by not acknowledging that fact.**

**I know I included Neal checking Emma out just like Regina, but this IS a Swan Queen story so don't worry about his wandering eyes. He will be a rare occurance in this story, but will be around here and there for various parts of this story. This should revolve mostly around Emma, but I tend to write more of Regina so if it veers more into her POV, sorry. I'm still working on writing Emma as close to her character as possible and I'm not sure I've managed that yet.**

**Anyway, leave a review and let me know what you think so far. I'm already working and tweaking chapters 2 and 3 so I'm hoping updates for this won't be too delayed like my other fics, which I write one chapter at a time. **


	2. Chapter 2

**That Holiday Magic**

**Chapter 2**

The workweek started again on the second of December with nothing but gray clouds overhead and the promise of light showers if not the expected winter rain. Three days had passed since Thanksgiving dinner and Emma still hadn't come to Regina's house to pick up Henry.

Despite sending at least three texts a day, Regina had been unsuccessful in reaching Emma. When Sunday night rolled around, Regina assumed she'd have to take Henry to school the next day and her assumptions were right. In that moment, she disliked being right.

Since Regina had been re-elected as Mayor, a fact she used to love but suddenly resented when Emma's questionable mood was involved, she had to get to work. She had given Emma her space over the weekend. Three days seemed like enough time for the blonde to process her feelings so even though she wanted to track down the elusive Emma Swan, she dejectedly drove from Henry's school to City Hall.

She sat through her first appointment of the day a little distracted thanks to Henry's fowl mood after Emma's upsetting exit at Thanksgiving dinner then sighed when she started to review paperwork. With a pen in hand and a few papers scattered in a somewhat organized manner in front of her, Regina couldn't help but envision the low hanging cloud that had followed Henry around all weekend.

Saturday night, when Regina decided to go ahead and make dinner for the both of them after another day of zero responses from the blonde, Henry realized Emma probably wasn't coming back for him. That moment of realization broke Regina's heart, especially after Peter Pan had convinced him that no one was coming for him in Neverland.

That train of thought made Regina remember what Henry had confessed to her during her first month with him back in Storybrooke. He'd had another nightmare, a frequent occurrence since the return from Neverland, and – when asked about it – Henry told her it was about him being left alone on the island. Another frequent occurrence. Regina had dug deeper and asked why he kept dreaming about being left behind. She never forgot his response: "Because she left me once before."

Suddenly, everything made sense.

Regina knew in that very moment that Henry only believed Pan when the monstrous boy said his family wasn't coming to save him because Emma had already given him up. It had been eleven years ago and last year he didn't seem too upset by it. At least that was how it appeared when he wanted to spend every day with her instead of Regina, the mother who had changed every diaper, soothed every fever, and endured every tantrum.

And yet, there Regina sat. Paperwork forgotten as she understood that Henry, once again, felt abandoned by his birth mother.

Regina threw her pen down on top of the paperwork, thoroughly frustrated. She sighed in an attempt to release some of the tension associated with said frustration, but it was useless. She needed to talk to Emma. She needed to know what Emma had been thinking at the dinner, maybe even _still_ thought three days later.

* * *

_Some eighteenth birthday._

_Emma had absolutely no one. She grabbed her slightly worn leather bag of clothes and the bare minimum of basic need supplies and took off. _

_Legally an adult as of last week and no longer a ward of the state, Emma had nowhere to go. The only reason she hadn't been tossed out of her most recent foster family's house sooner was only because she still had a purpose with them. She was still her foster father's punching bag._

_In fact, she celebrated her eighteenth birthday wishing on every damn star that had yet to appear in the Portland, Oregon sky that she wouldn't end up in the hospital when he finished. It seemed her wish had been granted, which was the only reason she still believed in their possibly ten years later when she'd eventually find herself in Boston._

_But for the time being, she'd managed to suffer one of the less aggressive attacks of a man who frequently abused her just to make himself feel better. She came away with a black eye, swollen and split bottom lip, and several bruises on her stomach. Her face healed in record time and within four days after the beating, she'd been able to wear makeup again without the sting of covering up the battery._

_Unfortunately, the bruises on her stomach refused to fade as easily. They had only just started to yellow in the healing process when she grabbed her things and fled that day. _

_In search of a more sufficient escape, Emma scoured the streets for a quick getaway. She'd stolen a slim-Jim from the trunk of her foster father's car just before she left. She'd slipped it up the left sleeve of her black leather jacket to conceal it and spent hours wandering through alleyways._

_Late in the overcast day, she found a vintage, yellow Volkswagen Beetle in the middle of an alley filled with graffiti covered buildings and telephone poles, broken and wet crates, and an outdated, orange-brown chair torn in half._

_She wore her curled blonde hair in a ponytail and approached the car with her black messenger bag slung over her shoulder in a red, white, and black plaid dress. Her legs were covered in black tights and her feet were kept warm with black boots that came up to mid-calve._

_The closer she got to the car, the more she nervously looked around. Even as she dangled keys to make it seem as though the car was actually hers, she feared the worst. She expected to get caught. She paused at the car door and continued to check every direction for any sign of trouble, all the while discretely pulling the slim-Jim out of the sleeve of her jacket._

_She slid the tool into the slit between the driver's side window and the car door. She jimmied the door lock within seconds and jostled out the slim-Jim. In one fluid movement, she opened the door and slid into the Beetle. Just as fluidly, she shut the door behind herself and reached into her bag to retrieve a screwdriver and a rock. She forcefully inserted the screwdriver into the ignition then pounded the butt of the tool with the rock. After a few hits, she jiggled the screwdriver a bit before she turned it until the car started. _

_Emma proudly smiled to herself, a little impressed that she'd managed to pull off such a feat and in such a small amount of time._

_She shifted the car in gear and drove out of the alley. When she made it out onto a side street, a man popped up in the backseat._

"_Impressive."_

_Emma visibly jumped and even emitted a yelp at the sound of the stranger's voice._

"_But you could've just asked me for the keys," the man continued to say and smirked as he looked at her with the keys dangling at eye level._

_Emma looked back and forth between him and the road in complete shock. With wide eyes and a tense body, she panicked and speechlessly squirmed in her seat._

_After half a mile, the man pushed back his hood and revealed a mussed, full head of dark brown hair. Seconds later, he spoke again when he noticed Emma hadn't relaxed._

"_Just drive. It's fine," he calmly assured her._

"_I just stole your car. Your life could be in danger," Emma replied, a little breathless even as she tried to sound strong._

_The man grinned and chuckled under his breath at Emma's response._

"_Neal Cassidy," he introduced himself and held up a hand as if he were answering a question, which Emma clearly hadn't asked him._

"_Yeah, I'm not telling you my name," Emma quickly said._

"_Yeah, I don't need it to have you arrested when the robbery's in progress," he laughed, completely comfortable in their situation._

_Emma rolled her eyes, unamused, but withheld a sigh as she recognized defeat._

"_Emma," she softly, but not timidly, said. "Swan."_

"_Good name," Neal said as he kept close to the driver's seat._

_Emma rolled her eyes again. Twice within a minute. And she just met the guy. Neal Cassidy must have been going for a record because Emma hadn't known anyone to get on her nerves as quickly and as often as he already had._

"_So...do you...just _live _in here or...are you waiting for the car to be stolen," Emma asked and let go of the wheel with one hand to carelessly wave her arm as she slowly spoke._

"_Why don't I tell you over drinks," he flirted._

"_Excuse me?"_

_Emma looked over her shoulder and glared at him._

"_Hey, eyes on the road," he talked over her and pointed at the road just as she drove past a stop sign._

_A car honked, but she kept going. She glared at him for a second more then decided to turn back and stared ahead, once again focused on driving instead of Neal._

_Emma licked her lips and blinked a few times before she answered his earlier question._

"_I am not having drinks with you. You might be a pervert."_

"_I might be a pervert, but you're _definitely _a car thief."_

"_I _said _I was sorry," Emma insisted._

"_You didn't, actually."_

_Emma dropped her jaw and silently scoffed at the accusation as she looked at him through the rear view mirror. Her accusatory look turned into an eye roll as she realized she in fact had _not _apologized._

_Before she could say anything, though, sirens blared in short, warning bursts less than a mile behind the car._

_Neal hung his head and rubbed his hand back and forth through his hair while Emma gaped at the sight of the approaching cop car._

"_Damn it," Emma nervously cursed as she chanced a look over her shoulder at the cop car every few seconds when she wasn't focused on the road ahead._

_Neal groaned._

"_That's why I said, 'eyes on the road,'" he spoke into the long sleeve of his shirt with his forehead pressed to his forearm._

_Emma pulled over and parked at the curb in front of a brick building that had large Chinese symbols painted in white near the rooftop. _

_She'd been on the streets, finally out of the foster system and in charge of her own shitty life, for less than six minutes and already she'd managed to get herself in trouble with the cops._

_Oh, the foreshadowing._

"_Screwdriver," Neal said as he pushed his way between the driver's seat and the passenger's seat._

_Emma barred her teeth with a clenched jaw, her face contorted to show her worry, and she quickly handed Neal the screwdriver._

_At the same time, Neal leaned over the center console and jammed the car keys into the ignition in place of the screwdriver he quickly pocketed then tried to look casual in the backseat as the cop came up to Emma's window._

"_License and registration," the cop asked in a deep, no-nonsense tone of voice._

"_Hi," Emma sweetly greeted with a large smile as she rested her left forearm on the door, her window rolled down for the cop._

_Neal immediately jumped between the front seats of the car and addressed the cop, his face entirely too close to Emma's person. He cut Emma off before she could incriminate them._

"_I'm sorry, Officer, this is actually my car."_

_Emma showed her disapproval of Neal's proximity, but masked it when she looked at the cop again._

"_I'm trying to, uh, uh," Neal struggled to lie on the spot. "Teach my girlfriend how to drive stick."_

_Emma raised both her eyebrows as she tried not to laugh at how ridiculous that sounded to her, only slightly amused with his lie._

"_She's got a lot to learn," the officer responded as he looked from Neal back to the stop sign Emma had passed then back to Neal._

"_I know," Neal said as if he were actually the boyfriend troubled with teaching his stubborn girlfriend how to drive stick, as he'd said he was. "But, you know. Women."_

_Neal scrunched up his face to convey his one word excuse for her poor driving was an obvious fact._

_Emma stared at him with a little bit of anger, unappreciative of the man speaking of her – as well as the entire female population – in such a demeaning way._

_After several long, drawn out seconds of silence, the straight-faced officer bought into the lie._

"_Alright, I hear you," he said with a thumb tucked into his belt and another hand holding a clipboard. "It's a warning. _This _time."_

"_Yeah," Neal nodded before the officer started to walk away. "Thank you so much."_

_The officer had just reached his squad car when Neal quickly pushed the passenger's seat forward, opened the door, and maneuvered himself out of the backseat and into the passenger's seat._

_As he did so, Emma asked, "What are you? Some sort of misogynist?"_

"_You're _welcome_. Now. Go. We got lucky," Neal said as he settled into the seat once the door was closed._

_Emma frowned and thought about his phrasing._

"_We?"_

_Neal looked at her before he dropped his gaze and looked guilty as hell._

_Emma chewed on that look for a few more seconds before she pieced the puzzle together._

"_This isn't your car either, is it?"_

"_Hm?"_

_Neal played dumb, but Emma saw right through it._

"_I stole a stolen car?"_

_Neal deviously grinned at her, pleased to see she'd done well._

"_Now how 'bout that drink," he asked._

_Emma looked him over and saucily smirked before she turned the keys and started the car with a playful scoff. She faced forward and continued to smirk even as she drove away. _

_For the first time, she allowed someone to finally pay for her instead of them getting paid to "take care" of her. Like anyone took care of her. She was a tax write off, a free paycheck to people that lied when they told social workers Emma Swan was in good hands. The more she bounced around from the orphanage to several misfitted foster families, the more she felt the loss of her parents. Parents that she'd learned early in life had left her on the side of some highway._

_So as the aloof Neal Cassidy handed her the bottle of whiskey she'd helped him steal from a local liquor store, she thought about how her own parents didn't even want her. With that in mind, it made sense no one else had wanted her. Once she was ten, she started to think there was something wrong with her, something that made her undesirable in every way._

_But there she was, in a car stolen twice over, with a reckless and street smart guy she'd met only ten minutes prior. She hardly knew Neal, but he'd actually asked her questions about her life. With each answer, though they weren't too detailed, he seemed genuinely interested. Once both had started to feel buzzed, they quickly swapped stories about their home life. _

_Emma only said, "My parents didn't want me so I've been handed off to every single lowlife since I was three after my first and only family threw me away."_

_Neal only went so far as to explain, "My dad turned into this man, this _coward_, that I didn't recognize. I thought he could change, but he abandoned me when I was fourteen."_

_Over the next few weeks, they'd grown closer with each heist. They stole food and other things they needed to get by on and along the way, they shared a few more stories. When they'd reached a month together, things got a little more intimate. _

"_Come on, Em. Let me have the backseat tonight. My back is killin' me from lounging in the passenger's seat," Neal begged._

"_I'm supposed to have the backseat until tomorrow night. That's the arrangement _you _agreed to."_

"_I know," Neal started, exasperated. "But...I'm dyin' here. I've been chivalrous enough."_

_Emma just stared at him._

"_I promise I won't try anything," he raised his hands defensively. _

_Emma sighed after a moment and slid over to give him room._

"_Thank you," Neal smiled as he climbed over the center console and joined her in the backseat._

"_Yeah, yeah," Emma dismissively said as she made herself comfortable in her new spot._

"_So...got anything you want to talk about tonight," he asked as he tipped his back and stared at the starry night sky through the back window._

_Emma furrowed her brow when she saw him extend his neck in a way that looked uncomfortable to her. She leaned back in the seat and followed his example then saw what he saw. Hundreds of stars twinkled in the dark sky above them and she smiled at the sight._

_Neal turned his head to see Emma's reaction. He smiled when he noticed the stars caused her to light up like the bright and warming sun._

"_Emma," he asked, still smiling, and pulled her attention away from the stars._

_Emma turned her head to look at him and her smile faded._

_Neal's expression faltered to match Emma's. If she was in pain, he was there to shoulder it and empathize with the young girl._

_A minute ticked by before Emma took a deep breath and opened up to him. She told him about her second family, a family she thought she might actually get to be a part of. The Johnsons. _

_She explained that for the second time in her life, she felt worthless._

"_I found out I had a family until I was three," Emma confessed. "But I was _three_. I don't remember that. I mean, there's bits and pieces scattered around in my head. But I never had the chance to really make a home, I guess._

"_Anyway, it still hurts. To know that I'd had a family, not just birth parents that gave me up, and even _that _family didn't want me."_

_Completely sober, Emma told her story then gave Neal a chance to tell more stories about his time on the street. They had delved deeper into their pasts and after Emma's heartbroken confession about belittling her self-worth, they shared their first kiss. _

_Neal had been a perfect gentlemen. It was chaste, though Emma pushed for a stronger connection. Instead, he broke the kiss and decided to hold her while they snuggled in the backseat. In the most innocent way, Emma and Neal slept together that night. His arms wrapped her, Emma laid on top of the guy she'd met that fateful day a month earlier with her head pressed against his chest._

_As she'd told Neal, not for the first time, she had constantly been thrown away like trash. She'd felt unwanted for so long. Then, Neal had kissed her and, once the initial shock wore off, she welcomed it. She suddenly had the guy who'd let her stay with him in the stolen car and had helped teach her how to survive the last four weeks show her with just one kiss that someone _did _want her. And it changed her. Until it crushed her._

* * *

Emma leisurely drove through the streets of Storybrooke with her right hand gripped tightly around the steering wheel. She clenched and unclenched her fist around the worn wheel while she pressed her left elbow into the top of the driver's side door and rested her head into her left hand. She drove without purpose and looked out at those that had decided to stand outside when she passed.

She saw a few couples enjoy a stroll through the park, giggling little kids with their parents, and the daily routines of the townspeople. Everything seemed fair and normal and quiet. Except the pace of her frantic and bleeding heart. And the darkness of her thoughts as she dredged up every past event that made her feel worthless and reminded her she'd been abandoned. Not just once, but multiple times.

She stopped at a four-way stop with no other cars around, but when she started to roll into the intersection, her car sputtered and jerked forward then halted. She almost suffered whiplash.

"No. No, no, no, no, no. Come. On!"

After a few cacophonous sounds growled out and shouted their protests – which did everything but reassure Emma her Bug would be okay – she puffed out an irritated sigh and put the beetle in park. She knew it would block traffic if anyone else had actually been out driving there that day.

Her car made a few more unpleasant sounds before she turned off the engine and got out to check under the hood. Smoke didn't billow out of it, which she took as a good sign, and poked around at several parts before she decided that if the problem was really under the hood, she'd need a mechanic. She shut the hood and went back to the driver's seat to check her gauges. Everything seemed fine and yet, everything was wrong.

She closed her eyes and sighed as she threw her head back against the headrest. She started to open her eyes when her phone suddenly vibrated in her coat pocket. Without complaint, Emma pulled out her phone to see she had one new message from Regina.

Emma rolled her eyes and looked at the text.

"**We need to talk."**

Emma stared at the four words with a stifled scoff that tickled the back of her throat, but never came. Instead, she typed out a response and pressed 'send'.

"_You wanna talk, come get me."_

Emma didn't get a reply for almost a minute. Without any other options, she just sat in the car and waited for Regina to text back.

"**Where are you?"**

"_The all-way stop just before Granny's."_

"**On my way."**

Emma furrowed her brow. Though she figured Regina would do everything short of murdering someone – which she wouldn't put past the former Evil Queen at that point – to yell at her for not coming to get Henry, she hadn't expected Regina's urgency.

She decided not to dwell on it seconds before her stomach growled and groaned at her need for food. She begrudgingly exited the yellow bug and sent another text to Regina as she left her car behind and started to walk down the street.

"_Walking to the diner. Find me there."_

Emma kept her phone in her hand on the way to Granny's, but slipped it back into her coat pocket before pushed open the door. The bell above the door clanged on her way inside and she scanned the room. There weren't too many people inside, but she froze when she saw Neal and Charming talking with Ruby at the counter. Her eyes slightly widened before her heart fell toward the pit of her stomach.

The three of them were laughing and seemingly getting along, though Emma expected nothing less between Charming and Ruby considering their history.

But Neal. That was something she hadn't expected. Her father and her ex-boyfriend slash baby daddy were smiling and laughing like Neal wasn't the jerk that let her go to jail for him because Pinocchio told him to.

After Neverland, Emma had lost a lot of the anger she harbored for the man, but Pan had picked at some of Emma's nastier scabs before they were all able to return to Storybrooke. Between her parents and Neal, she may not have been angry, but she did resent them. All three of them.

She walked toward one of the booths in the corner near the window and avoided crossing the diner to avoid attention. On her way to the booth, she chanced a few glances at Charming, Ruby, and Neal. None seemed to notice her, which she had wanted, but just before she slid into the booth she realized she resented them all, her parents and Neal, for the same reason. They all left her at some point.

Emma kept her head down and played with the sugar packets for the next few minutes. After she'd made a mess and reached boredom, she pulled out her phone and started to flick it around in her hand. She spun it in circles and let her fingers toy with the edges of the device until the bell clanged and she turned to see Regina walk in.

Regina's eyes fell to Ruby at the counter and Emma swore she saw the Mayor scrunch up her face in distaste. She appeared to like the sight of Charming, Neal, and Ruby looking as thick as thieves as much as Emma did.

It only took Regina a second before she looked to her right and saw Emma staring at her from the booth.

Emma faintly smiled at Regina and Emma wondered if it looked as nervous and as forced as it felt.

Regina kept a straight face, a displeased expression in place that told Emma she was in trouble, and made her way to the booth.

The sound of Regina's heels as they click-clacked against the tile floor never sounded so loud when the brunette approached. She gulped when she looked over Regina from her black, regal heels up to her frowning red lips and strangely felt like a kid stuck in the principal's office – which was the only place Emma spent in school when she actually showed up.

Regina cleared her throat and haughtily looked down at Emma as she slid into the opposite side of the booth across from the blonde. She sat there and let the silence stretch between them.

After a minute, Emma caved and started to speak.

"Okay, I'm sorry I didn't pick up Henry. I meant to, but...I just..." Emma trailed off before she started a new thought. "And I'm sorry I didn't answer any of your texts."

"Or my calls," Regina unhappily said.

"Right," Emma looked down at the table, slightly ashamed.

"Why did I have to come here to talk to you," Regina asked after a moment, her tone a little lighter.

"Because you agreed to come to me," Emma joked with a smile.

Her smile disappeared when Regina only stared at her with sharp and disapproving eyes.

Emma nervously cleared her throat and started again.

"My car stalled out. I need to take it to the shop."

"I'm surprised it's lasted this long."

"What can I say? It's reliable," Emma shrugged.

Regina sensed there was way more to that statement then Emma let on and her face fell to a more concerned and sympathetic expression.

"Do you need me to drive you somewhere?"

"The Sheriff's station?"

Regina noticed Emma's hesitance. It appeared the blonde didn't want to push and had even tensed in the chance that Regina might refuse her request.

"I can do that," Regina said before she stood.

Emma slid out of the booth seconds after her and stood face to face with Regina.

"Thanks."

"I wouldn't thank me yet. You owe me," Regina turned and headed toward the door.

"Understandable," Emma said and followed the other woman.

"Have you eaten yet," Regina asked as they exited the diner.

"No."

"I've got a granola bar in my car. You can help yourself to that."

"I don't do granola bars."

"Suit yourself."

Regina led Emma to her Mercedes parked on the curb outside Granny's and got in without sparing even so much as a glance back at the younger woman.

Emma eased herself into the passenger's seat of Regina's Benz and immediately twiddled her thumbs in her lap as the brunette drove them to the Sheriff's station. After the first two minutes, filled only with awkward silence, Emma remembered she hadn't called Michael yet. She pulled out her phone and called for a tow truck. She gave Michael the exact location of her car while Regina turned down the street that would take them straight to the station.

"Okay. Thanks," Emma said to Michael before she ended the call.

She looked at Regina who remained indifferent about the entire situation and considered the woman. She noticed the way Regina used only one hand to drive and hadn't once gripped the steering wheel hard enough to turn her knuckles white. Even though she seemed unattached to the task at hand, Regina almost looked calm and a little confident. It was like she was a friend lending a helping hand to the other when needed.

But she and Regina weren't friends. They had come a long way in Neverland, but Emma feared if she used that term – even in her head – it would ruin whatever it was they actually had. Emma wasn't sure what that was, but they at least got along by then. That was all she could have asked for since they had to think about Henry and she really didn't want to torture the kid by constantly fighting with his other mom.

"So what do I owe you," Emma asked as they pulled up outside the station.

Regina parked the car, sat back in her seat, and contemplated her answer.

"Dinner."

"What?"

Emma stared at Regina, genuinely thrown by her response.

"Come over tonight and have dinner with me."

"Are you...are you asking me out?"

"No, I'm asking you _in_."

"Same thing."

"It's just dinner."

"What about Henry?"

"I assume he'll be there since _you _won't take him with you. By the way, you not coming back for him really hurt him."

Emma winced.

"I'm _really _sorry."

"It's not me you need to apologize to. He's my son. I'm used to having to take care of him so it's no burden to have him for a few extra days. He's the one you hurt so he's the one you need to talk to."

"You're right. Okay, dinner?"

"Yes."

"What time?"

"Six."

"I'll be there."

"Good."

"Okay," Emma awkwardly said and turned to open the passenger door. "Oh, um..."

Emma turned back to Regina.

"I may need a ride to your place."

"Call me at 5 if your car is still in the shop."

"Sure," Emma said as she got out of the car then bent at the waist to look at Regina. "Uh, thanks again."

Regina flashed her politician's smile and usually it would put Emma on edge, but she saw that Regina was trying to look as sincere as she could without appearing too soft.

Emma warmly smiled back before she shut the door and crossed in front of the Benz to head into the station. When she reached the door, she looked over her shoulder to see Regina still parked at the curb and smiled again.

Right as she smiled, Regina started the Benz and drove off. That made Emma chuckle, since she knew Regina could see her through the windshield, before she opened the door and walked into station in a good mood. Maybe not everything was wrong.

* * *

She should have eaten that damn granola bar.

Emma closed the station an hour early, at four o'clock, since it had been a slow day. She'd also skipped out on lunch and couldn't wait until dinner at Regina's before she fed herself so she went back to Granny's.

Big mistake.

She ended her call with Michael Tillman when she opened the door to the diner, sad to hear that the mechanic struggled to find and fix the car's issues just yet.

"Oh, you're having a baby," a woman gushed as she approached Snow and Charming just when Emma walked in.

The couple stood in front of the entire diner with large smiles on their faces and it reminded Emma of how they looked on Thanksgiving at the head of the table.

"That's fantastic news," Archie said as he came up and patted Charming's arm with support. "Congratulations."

Apparently, Emma's parents couldn't wait to announce their pregnancy to the rest of the town any longer since they'd finally decided to share the news with their "family".

Too enthralled with the baby excitement, no one noticed Emma walk up to the counter even though her eyes never left the merry group of townspeople.

"It's about time something good happened around here," Emma heard someone say. "It's been a rough year, almost _two _now, since the curse broke. If we can't go back to the Enchanted Forest, it's nice to know there is a light at the end of the tunnel."

"Yes," someone exclaimed in agreement. "True Love prevails!"

"Here, here!"

Emma sat down when the crowd raised their glasses and toasted to Snow and Charming's happiness.

She frowned with a hurt look on her face as she watched Snow and Charming laugh before they clinked their glasses together with the others then shared a sickeningly sweet kiss. Her eyes skated across the diner and took in all the people in attendance. Her eyes froze on the one person she probably should have expected there, but hadn't.

Neal.

Archie patted Neal's back and Emma stared at the group as they all seemed to accept the man who had broken her heart, the first and only to do so.

Before she took the time to dwell too much on the past, Emma pulled out her phone and sent a short text to Regina.

"_Car isn't fixed. Come get me?"_

Thankfully, the response came quick enough for Emma to remain blissfully distracted from everything that went on around her.

"**Where?"**

"_Granny's."_

"Hey," Ruby approached Emma from behind the counter and greeted the blonde with a large smile. "Can I get you something?"

Emma looked up from her phone at the celebration and it took Emma every bit of strength she had to tear her eyes away from it. After a few seconds, she accomplished her goal and looked up at Ruby as she pocketed her phone. She met the waitress' gaze for a split second before she averted her eyes.

"No, I... I'm not hungry," Emma quietly confessed as she stared down at the counter in front of her.

Ruby frowned.

"Then what's up?"

Just before Ruby finished her question, Emma abruptly stood and spun around to leave. She hurried toward the door, but her parents finally noticed her.

"Emma," Snow cheerily called out and broke away from the crowd. "Come celebrate with us."

"No thanks," Emma faked a smile. "I've got to get going."

"But we haven't seen you since Thanksgiving," Snow frowned and looked over her daughter's features. "Is everything alright?"

"Yeah," Emma nodded and forced her smile to widen. "I just don't want to be late."

"Late for what," Charming asked as he came to stand behind Snow and placed both hands on his wife's arms.

Snow flashed a quick but peaceful smile at Charming's touch, but allowed it to fade before Emma spoke again.

"I wanted to check on my car."

It wasn't really a lie, but she didn't have to see Michael to check on his progress. A phone call she'd already made had sufficed.

"There's something wrong with your car," Snow asked.

"Uh, yeah, it kinda stalled on me earlier today. It's fine. I'm sure when I go to the shop I'll be able to drive it home."

Snow smiled, her eyes filled with hope as she casually shrugged.

"Then there's no rush," Snow started and took Emma's hand in hers without permission. "Have a drink for me."

Snow pulled Emma toward the crowd, but the blonde resisted and tugged her hand back.

"No, really. I'm good," Emma tried not to get angry.

Just then, Regina opened the door and stopped dead in her tracks in the doorway the second she looked around and saw the tense situation she'd walked into.

"What's the trouble," Charming lightheartedly asked with a smile. "You rushed out on us for Thanksgiving and we haven't seen or heard from you in days. Aren't you happy for us?"

As if that question wasn't bad enough, Charming reached out and tried to put a hand on Emma's shoulder.

That did it.

Emma shrugged away from Charming's outstretched hand and lost all patience. The nice and considerate Emma Swan had officially checked out and the furious, outspoken Emma Swan took her place.

"Yeah, I'm happy for you," Emma refrained from yelling, though she had no idea how. "I'm happy you're getting a second chance at parenthood because everyone should get a second chance, right? Like maybe I should get a second chance at childhood?!"

There it was. The yelling. Too late to turn back, Emma made herself heard and wouldn't bother to lower her voice until she'd said all she needed to say.

"Emma," Snow shook her head and looked deeply concerned for the blonde while maintaining a confused expression at the same time.

Emma clenched her fists at her sides and she felt a familiar surge inside herself of something she couldn't place.

Neal started to wade through the crowd to get out in front of everyone for a better look at Emma.

"I'm _thrilled_ that you're having a kid," Emma continued. "Not _another _kid, just _a_ kid. That's how you and everyone else around here see it, right?"

"Emma, is there something we need to discuss," Snow calmly and quietly asked as she cautiously approached Emma.

Her almost scolding tone suggested there was something wrong with Emma and that the blonde was misbehaving in public like a six year old throwing a tantrum.

Emma scoffed and took a step back so Snow couldn't get any closer.

"Oh, am I embarrassing you?! Just another reason for you to be more than happy about the baby."

Neal nudged his way to the front of the crowd and worriedly stared as Emma got worked up. He almost looked sad for her.

Regina took another step inside, just enough to close the diner door, and stared with her mouth agape at the scene that unfolded before her.

"Fuck you," Emma growled.

"Hey, don't talk to your mother like that," Charming boldly warned as he pointed a finger at Emma and stepped between her and Snow.

Emma's eyes sparked with gold and everyone that could see it, gasped.

Both Charming and Snow faltered out of shock and backed away from Emma.

"Bite me!"

Dark blue smoke swirled around Emma and hid her from sight for several seconds before it dissipated.

"Emma," Neal questioned her change in appearance.

Emma's expression matched the crowd's shock, everyone speechless, as she stood before the diner in a red, black, and white plaid dress with black tights and black boots that stopped mid-calve. Her hair, loosely curled like it had been when she first came to Storybrooke, was pulled back into a ponytail. She saw the people in front of her through thick, black rimmed glasses, her lips painted red and parted in confusion. A black leather jacket took the place of her black pea coat. The only thing she didn't have to complete her younger look was a leather messenger bag.

"What..." Emma started to form a question, but trailed off.

"Oh...Emma," Snow breathed out.

"Who the hell are you," Emma asked as she looked between Snow and Charming.

"Shit," Neal said under his breath as his eyes roamed over Emma's body from head to toe a few times in disbelief.

Regina tensed and stood stock still with an even more shocked expression. Not only did Emma's magic surprise her, but what that magic lead to. The way Emma stood in the diner, not at all like her usual self, baffled the brunette beyond words.

Emma looked around and quickly spotted Neal. Lips already parted, she opened her mouth wider as she tried to speak again, but Charming stopped her.

"Emma, how old are you?"

Emma turned her head to acknowledge Charming and furrowed her brow.

"How do you know my name?"

"Emma," Neal carefully stepped toward the blonde.

Emma's attention fell to Neal once again.

"What did you do," Neal asked.

"Me? I didn't do anything! Where are we?"

"How old are you," Neal repeated Charming's question as he stopped in front of Emma.

Emma questioningly stared at Neal and tilted her head to the side.

"Eighteen."

A few murmurs and other noises emitted out of surprise and incredulity filled Granny's diner.

"Uh, Emma, how long have you known me," Neal asked.

"A little over two months. Neal, what's going on?"

"Damn," Neal exhaled and shot Snow and Charming an apologetic look.

Neal turned back to Emma and took both her hands in his.

"Come with me," he said. "I'll explain everything."

Emma scoffed and shook free of Neal's loose hold.

"I'm not going anywhere with you."

Neal blinked, puzzled by Emma's response as she backed away from him and suspiciously looked around at the people in the diner again. She glanced over Regina, but hardly noticed the other woman before she started to yell again.

"You _left _me," Emma exclaimed.

"Oh," was Neal's only reply.

"Oh? Is that all you have to say?"

Snow and Charming questioningly looked at Neal.

"What is she talking about," Charming asked him.

"I...you know Emma did eleven months in jail for grand larceny, right," Neal answered the question with another question.

"Yeah," Charming said.

"And you know that was my fault, right?"

Charming's face lit up with recognition. Snow hadn't quite pieced it together yet so Neal elaborated.

"She remembers being picked up by the cops."

"Yeah," Emma quickly cut in, upset. "We agreed to meet at nine and you took off with almost twenty thousand dollars in stolen watches."

"What's the last thing you remember," Neal curiously asked.

"A cop asking me if I know my Miranda rights and realizing that you weren't coming back," Emma bitterly said.

"Okay," Snow nodded as the information sunk in then looked at Emma. "She should come with us."

"I agree," Charming said as he and Snow moved toward Emma. "We're her parents. We'll fill her in."

"I don't have parents," Emma casually confessed.

Snow and Charming both grimaced and almost flinched at Emma's words. It seemed they had moved two steps forward with their daughter only fall back one.

Neal scratched the back of his head and grimaced as he looked from Snow and Charming back to Emma. He dropped his hand as he started to speak to the blonde.

"It's okay, Emma. They'll take care of you," Neal tried to assure her.

"Right. Like you took care of me?"

"Yeah, okay. I deserve that."

"Damn right you do," Emma immediately shot back.

"Emma," Snow tried again as she closed the distance between them. "Come with us. We'll take you home and explain everything."

"What's there to explain," Emma asked as she shook her head and skeptically looked at her supposed parents.

"For starters? You're actually twenty-nine," Snow replied. "Although clearly not at the moment."

Emma gaped at her.

"And there's a little bit more than that," Snow added with a wince, nervous about Emma's reaction.

Emma slowly shook her head with wide eyes, speechless.

"Let's get out of here," Snow slowly suggested. "David and I will walk you through whatever we can."

"First, I want to know how the hell she's eighteen again," Charming said as he stared directly at Neal.

"You saw her eyes. That was magic," Neal said.

"Okay. _Why _is she eighteen again," Charming sternly asked as Snow started to lead Emma out of the diner.

Neal shrugged.

"I don't know. Just because I've been around magic doesn't mean I understand it. That's a question for Regina."

"He's right," Snow piped up as she stopped on her way to the door and looked over her shoulder at Charming before she turned to the door and stared at Regina. "How could this have happened?"

Regina looked from Emma's doe eyes to Snow's hard, bewildered expression. She hesitantly stepped toward Snow and Emma and tried to focus on the other brunette. The sight of a much younger Emma, however, monopolized most of her attention.

"Magic is," Regina slowly started with her eyes on Emma. "Tied to emotion."

Emma blankly stared at Regina as the other woman approached, but she blinked a few times and her expression turned quizzical. She narrowed her eyes and tilted her head to the side as she considered the woman who stood face-to-face with her.

Regina saw the cogs turn in Emma's head when she looked into those familiar, at that moment more youthful, green eyes. Her breath subtly hitched before she managed to tear her eyes away from the blonde and looked over at Snow.

"It appears her emotions have manifested from a figurative state of being to a _literal_ state," Regina explained.

"What does that mean," Neal stepped up and asked out of an obvious and large amount of befuddlement.

Regina tamped down any anger or discontent for Henry's father and remained informative. Pushing negative feelings down became much easier when, out of the corner of her eye, she saw Emma shift in place.

Regina cleared her throat and looked at Emma again when she continued to explain.

"Whatever you felt before your...transformation, you must have unknowingly tapped into your magic to physically express those feelings."

"What were you feeling," Charming asked as he briskly invaded Emma's personal space and blocked Regina from his daughter's view.

Emma took a few steps back to keep a distance between her and Charming with a piercing, accusatory gaze focused on the overly forward man.

"I don't know," Emma nervously snapped out of frustration.

Neal stepped between Charming and Emma with his hands outstretched between them to help Emma create the distance she sought.

"You're kind of backing her into a corner," Neal told Charming. "She doesn't like feeling or being trapped."

Snow grabbed Charming's arm and pulled her husband away from Neal and Emma. She turned to Regina before she asked her next question.

"It's okay," Snow calmly said. "Whatever it was she felt, there's not much we can do about it now, right?"

"Well, I'd have to do some research," Regina started. "But I believe the only way to reverse this spell is to find out what caused her to change back into her eighteen year old self."

"So, if Emma ever tells us, or even _remembers _what feelings brought on this magic, the spell can be reversed," Charming asked while he decided to stay away and give Emma the space she apparently wanted.

"If my suspicions about the spell are right, knowing the feelings that caused her transformation is only half the issue," Regina said as she looked from Charming to Emma.

"And the other half," Neal asked.

"Dealing with the _cause _of those feelings," Regina answered as she slid her eyes from Emma to Neal.

"Are you suggesting there's something wrong with our daughter," Snow angrily asked as she aggressively stepped toward Regina.

"Something is _obviously _wrong if she felt the need to be eighteen again," Regina argued with a raised voice. "That doesn't mean something's wrong with _her_."

Emma smiled at Regina even though the other woman kept her gaze on Snow. Her cheeks warmed with a genuine happiness, grateful to have someone on her side.

Snow huffed at Regina then turned to Charming.

"We should go. The sooner we talk to Emma, the easier this all might be for her," Snow said as she looked from Charming to Emma and faintly, reassuringly smiled.

Charming sighed with defeat as he looked at Snow then Emma. He nodded and followed the women out.

Emma reluctantly let herself be ushered out of the diner with a scowl. When Snow opened the door to an old, two-seater truck, she withheld a groan and squeezed herself between the seats.

Charming got in the driver's seat while Snow sat in the passenger's seat with Emma unhappily stuck between them.

Once they started driving back to their house, Snow looked over and noticed Emma's discomfort. She rubbed Emma's back and smiled.

"We'll figure this out," Snow said.

Emma tensed when she felt Snow's hand on her back and concentrated on the road ahead, but her mind wasn't on the road. Deep in thought, the cogs in Emma's brain turned and turned while she zoned out. Before she knew it, Snow had shown her inside the Charming household and sat her down in the dining room.

For the next hour while Charming prepared an impromptu dinner, Emma listened to Snow as she asked Emma what she knew about fairy tales then proceeded to explain the history of Storybrooke. She told her about the dark curse and how Emma broke it, which caused Snow to segue into a conversation about Henry.

Emma had no idea who he was and once she knew he was not only her son but Neal and Regina's son too, she regretted ever asking about the kid. But instead of focusing on the eleven – almost twelve – year old, she asked about Regina when Charming rejoined them with food. The two strangers that claimed to be her parents frantically tried to sum up their involvement with Regina in record time, but it took much longer than anything else they discussed. It also struck up some memories in Emma's mind, but she didn't voice any of them. Her eyes had lit up with recognition, but she quickly slipped back into a neutral expression before either Snow or Charming caught on.

Finally, when Snow and Charming finished their lesson on the where, when, and who's of Emma's conundrum, they asked her if she was okay.

"Yeah. I mean, it's..._a lot _to take in," Emma replied.

Snow and Charming nodded their understanding.

"I think I just need a minute," Emma added.

"Of course," Snow said. "You can stay in our guest room. I'll show you where it is."

Emma forced a genial smile and nodded as she stood and followed Snow to the stairs.

"Thanks," Emma kindly said as she tried to settle into the room.

"If you need anything, David and I are around."

"Okay," Emma smiled again as she sat on the edge of the bed.

Snow smiled back, hers more genuine and loving, before she closed the door on her way out.

Emma's smile instantly disappeared and she sighed before she got up and turned her attention to the only window in the room. She opened the window and looked down to see the two story drop and a section of rooftop to the right. She spun around, went straight to the closet, and searched for something for a couple minutes only to come away empty handed.

She sighed and stood still in front of the closet, seemingly out of options, when she heard Snow raise her voice with concern in a conversation with Charming. She went to the closed guest room door and pressed her ear to it.

"She was just so angry," she heard Snow exclaim.

"I know, but there's not much we can do about until we figure out what happened."

"Why would she feel the need to resort to magic though? What did she think she couldn't talk to us about that made her do this?"

"I'm sure Regina will figure something out," Charming assured Snow.

Regina.

Emma backed away from the door and grabbed her jacket off of the bed. She reached into the pocket and pulled out her phone. When she lit up the display, it alerted her about two missed calls from Regina. The time stamp on the calls indicated the woman had tried to reach her during her long conversation with Snow and Charming, probably when they were eating.

Emma slipped her jacket on as quickly as possible and went back to the open window. She looked to her right at the section of roof that covered a small back patio. She carefully stretched her legs to touch the roof then nervously slid onto it. She eased herself onto her knees and released the breath she'd been holding. She turned over to sit on the roofing and peeked over the edge then measured the distance between the roof and the ground.

She took a moment to calculate a plan then flipped onto her stomach and lowered herself over the edge. She bent at the waist to leverage herself with her upper body and scraped her stomach on the way down. Once her breasts pressed into the roof just before the edge, she swung her legs out and threw herself backward off the roof. She landed on her feet not too far from the patio concrete, but the force of her fall and the off-centered landing instantly had her on her back in the grass. The air left her lungs, but she only took a few seconds to recover before she rolled onto her front and pushed off the ground.

She scrambled onto her feet and looked over her shoulder as she walked around the side of the house. Happy to see that no one had followed her, she smirked and retraced the streets Charming took to bring the three of them to the house.

There wasn't a single star in the almost pitch black sky that night as she wandered the quiet streets of Storybrooke, though not without purpose. She traveled around town and fought to figure out how to get to where she wanted to go. Twenty minutes later, she stood in front of a closed, steel gate that blocked off the familiar walkway between her and a white door with three distinct, gold-plated numbers on it.

* * *

**A/N: Couple of things. One, thank you so much for all the follows, favorites, and reviews! Wow! I've never gotten so many notification emails for just one story. Really, that was an awesome thing for me to see. Also, it turned me into a review junkie so I need more of those as soon as possible! ;)**

**Two, somebody mentioned that Emma was acting like a two year in the last chapter. Hopefully, Regina's explanation about the spell Emma used to turn herself 18 again cleared up why I had her acting a little childishly. Three, this is where the story is similar to **Double Trouble **by **sea-ess-eye**. And I know I mentioned Neal in this chapter like a major problem for Emma, but I have my reasons. I stress that he will NOT be getting together with Emma in this story. He's just another person who abandoned her, but he also knows her 18 year old self. His knowledge of young Emma is going to be SOMEWHAT important for Swan Queen reasons you'll pick up on in later chapters (some reasons that will be seen in Chapter 4 at the very least). **

**Anyway, leave a review and let me know what you think because your feedback helps fuel my writing energy. And I could really use a reason to write right now. Lots of real life things that aren't going too well for me right now. :(**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: So sorry it took me so long to update this. The author's note at the end of the chaoter will explain why that was. But for now, I'd like to thank ALL of you! Nearly 100 reviews before the 3****rd**** chapter. That's never happened to me before and I've been posting fan fic since 2009! Thank you, thank you, thank you. Also, I've already received so many follows and favorites for this story. You all make it that much easier to smile on a daily basis. Maybe you can keep it up? :)**

* * *

**That Holiday Magic**

**Chapter 3**

Regina tossed and turned in bed after she tucked Henry in. She had to assure her son that Emma would come back for him, that she'd come to get him in Neverland, but Henry sadly shrugged it off. It was obvious to Regina that Henry had started to lose hope that Emma actually wanted him.

Regina remembered a few things Emma had confessed while they were in Neverland. She remembered that Emma said she used to count her days in each foster home until she just gave up. Emma had been shuffled between homes and each time, the families had tossed her aside, given her back, left her to find a home somewhere else. She saw what it had done to Emma and she hoped it wouldn't happen to Henry. She refused to let that cycle continue.

She closed her eyes and tried to think of something else, anything else, other than Emma Swan and her reckless aloofness. If there was even the smallest of chances for Regina to get some sleep, it vanished as soon as she heard rustling coming from downstairs.

Her eyes shot open and she sat up before she listened intently to familiar, but out of context sounds, beyond her bedroom door. She threw her legs over the side of the bed and quietly ventured into the hall. She stopped in front of Henry's room and opened the door. She stared into the darkness and made out her son's form as his chest rose and fell with evened out breathing while he slept.

The noises downstairs persisted and Regina snapped into protective mode. She quickly but quietly closed Henry's door with a soft snick and swiftly descended the staircase. She set her bare feet on the hardwood of the first floor and looked around. She spotted a soft light come from the kitchen and faintly spill into the foyer.

Regina crept toward the light and hid behind the separating wall between the kitchen and foyer. She brought an open palm up to her stomach just below her chest and conjured a fireball that gave her face an orange glow in the mostly dark house. She took a deep breath then quickly spun around and barreled into the kitchen with her fireball at the ready.

With the intruder's back to her and their head buried in the refrigerator, Regina only saw the person's silhouette.

"I hope you realize the danger of breaking into my house," Regina threateningly growled.

The intruder jumped and turned to face Regina. Their ponytail whipped around as they defensively shot their hands in the air by way of surrender.

"Whoa," a familiar female's voice exclaimed. "What is that? Is that a _fireball_? Put that thing away!"

"Emma?"

Regina stared at the blonde for a long moment as the light from the refrigerator allowed her to look over the younger woman's odd choice of outfit, glasses included. Though she'd seen it earlier in the day, Regina still hadn't expected it when she saw the blonde.

"Seriously," Emma said with wide eyes as she extended a hand and motioned toward the fireball still balanced in Regina's palm. "Do you _want _to kill me? Get rid of it!"

Regina closed her eyes and shook her head before she closed her fist and made the fireball disappear.

"Thank you," Emma breathed out and dropped her hands to her sides.

Regina disbelievingly stared at Emma while she reached back and turned on the kitchen light. When she turned back to look at Emma again, she nearly gasped at how much younger she looked. Still not used to the woman's new look, or old look considering she looked eighteen again.

"You're still wearing that dress."

Emma smiled.

"For an Evil Queen, you seem to be focused on all the wrong things."

"_Former _Evil Queen," Regina corrected her.

"Right," Emma slowly said.

"What are you going here?"

"Getting some food. I didn't really eat much at...Mary Margaret and David's."

"You went _there _for dinner?"

"I didn't have much of a choice, did I? They said they'd tell me about, well, me. I figured they were things I needed to know so I went home with them."

"And why aren't you there now?"

Emma just stared at Regina.

Regina looked into Emma's eyes and saw Emma Swan she knew in them, not the younger version that stood before her.

"How old are you," Regina asked after a moment.

Emma furrowed her brow and cocked her head to one side. She remembered seeing Regina at the diner when she'd magically transformed herself so she didn't understand why the brunette had asked that question.

"Eighteen."

"So old enough to know how to close a refrigerator door?"

Regina raised her eyebrows and nodded toward the refrigerator.

Emma's expression changed. She understood then and looked over her shoulder. She saw the door still wide open, reached out, and closed it.

"Sorry," Emma said as she turned to face Regina again.

"It doesn't seem like you found anything you like," Regina took notice of the empty counter tops and unoccupied hands.

"No, I didn't. Do you have anything other than yogurt and lettuce? For a mom with an eleven year old son, you sure are depriving the kid of good food."

"What would you deem _good _food, dear? A bag of Skittles and a chocolate shake?"

"God, no."

Regina looked impressed.

"You should never have Skittles with a chocolate shake. The flavors contradict each other," Emma said. "One overpowers the other and you can't enjoy the chocolate or the fruit. They just...blend."

Regina rolled her eyes with a smile.

"Look, I know it's kind of last minute, but...can I stay here," Emma shyly asked before she clarified. "Just for the night. I'll be out of your hair in the morning. Promise."

Regina critically looked Emma over.

"Why did you come here? You could have just gone to your apartment."

Emma dipped her head and stared down at the floor, crestfallen as she stuffed her hands into the pockets of her leather jacket.

"Got it. No need to wait until morning. I'll go now."

Emma kept her head down as she started to walk past Regina on the way to the front door. Before she could pass the woman, Regina reached out and gently gripped Emma's arm.

"That's not what I meant," Regina started. "You can stay here."

Emma innocently smiled, warm and infectious.

It was the only form of a "thank you" Regina received and it was all she needed.

"I'll...prepare the guest room and you can help yourself to a snack," Regina said.

"I don't consider apples a snack."

Regina grinned and swayed her hips as she moved past Emma to reach a box of Special K with Strawberries.

"Another helpful hint when it comes to me, dehydrated strawberries aren't a favorite either," Emma said and pointed at the cereal.

Regina looked over her shoulder at Emma with what appeared to be a salacious grin, which surprised Emma at any age. She opened the cereal box and reached inside like a child digging for the prize inside.

"You forget I know you. Even at twenty-nine you still have a poor appetite."

Regina pulled a chocolate bar out of the cereal box and walked back to Emma, the cereal forgotten. She held the chocolate bar out to Emma and continued to grin when Emma accepted it.

"Mayor Mills has a secret stash in her cereal. Odd place to keep candy."

"Henry's found all the other hiding places."

Emma smirked.

"Maybe I'll teach you a few tricks," Emma said. "If you ask nicely."

For a moment, Regina was stunned by what sounded like an eighteen year old girl flirting with her. And not just any girl. Emma Swan, Henry's biological mother, the Savior who broke her curse, the daughter of her arch-nemesis Snow White.

Taken aback, Regina wondered if it was just flirting or if that had actually been a come-on. In any case, Emma was eighteen for the time being and barely knew who the Evil Queen was let alone all the unspeakable things she'd done. Unlike the older version of Emma who knew all of that and seemed to accept, and at times even defend, it; defend _her_. Once she reminded herself none of that mattered since Emma stood before her as a teenager, she shook herself out of her shocked state and briefly smiled.

"Perhaps," Regina played along, but her voice held less lust and innuendo than Emma's had.

Regina walked around Emma and headed toward the staircase without so much as a single look over shoulder at the blonde.

Emma smirked as she stared after the other woman who just expected her to follow. Usually she hated people like Regina, people who were entitled and haughty. Yet, with Regina, it put a smile on her face and pulled her in to every mystery about the brunette. The younger version of Emma hadn't known much about Regina and had spent even less time with her than she had knowledge of the woman. But there were things she felt toward the other woman, things like intrigue and allure and possibly something else, but she was unable to name it.

She stuffed the chocolate bar Regina gave her into her jacket pocket, walked the same path Regina had and made her way upstairs. She caught up to the brunette when Regina pushed open the guest room door. It was only then that Regina turned to acknowledge her.

"Are you sure you want to stay here," Regina asked as she remained poised in the doorway with enough space left for Emma to walk into the room should she choose to do that. "I could always drive you to your apartment."

"Look, if you don't want me here-"

"I'm asking for _you_, not me. There's a reason you transformed yourself, which is no small feat by the way, and I don't want to push you."

"Why," Emma curiously asked with an incredulously furrowed brow.

Regina quizzically stared at Emma with her head tilted to the side. She turned the rest of her body to face Emma and leaned against the door frame.

"Because something happened at the diner. As far as I could tell, you were angry and I think your mother pushed a little too hard."

"How could you tell," Emma sarcastically asked with a hint of laughter in her voice.

Regina grinned, but still questioningly regarded Emma.

"Is there something you're not telling me, Miss Swan?"

Regina's tone was full of teasing, though she did want an answer to her question.

At first, Emma looked nervous about the question, but she quickly adopted a playful smirk and kept up their previous banter.

"Wouldn't you like to know," Emma said it as a statement, not a question, when she passed by Regina and stepped into the guest room.

Regina slowly followed her inside to ensure she settled in.

Emma felt the other woman's presence as she shrugged out of her black leather jacket and haphazardly tossed it onto one side of the queen size bed. She turned around, her back to the bed, and plopped down on the edge of the mattress. With a devious smile, Emma scanned over every visible inch of Regina.

"Planning on watching me sleep?"

"Not at all, dear. Just making sure you don't sneak out."

Emma shrugged.

"I'm eighteen, I'm not your kid, and I don't live here," she casually rattled off facts. "Unless I'm here under contract as your prisoner or something, I can come and go as I please."

"You make it sound like you plan on staying a while."

"Can you tell me when my little spell's gonna wear off? Because I sure as hell can't. Hell, I still don't think any of this is real. Magic? I live in the real world, not this delusional town that lives every day like they're characters in Disneyland."

"That's not what I meant. You seem to be under the impression that you'll be _here_, in this house, longer than just for tonight."

"Oh."

Emma lost a considerable amount of her confidence then.

"If you want to stay longer, we can discuss it in the morning," Regina calmly said. "And, although I'm sure you wouldn't care if you slept in your dress, I have something I can lend you."

"Uh, sure."

Regina flashed her politician smile.

"I'll be back in a minute," she said as she turned to leave.

After two steps toward the door, Regina stopped herself and spun back around to look at Emma.

"Oh, and if at any time you decide to leave in the middle of the night," Regina started. "I won't stop you, but a text letting me know you're okay would be appreciated. You already have my number in your phone."

"I'll let you know," Emma only slightly contained the surprise in her tone, her eyes a little wider than usual.

Seemingly satisfied with that reply, Regina left the room to retrieve sleepwear for the blonde.

Momentarily alone, Emma slipped out of her boots and looked around the monochromatic color scheme of the room. She pulled herself backward on the bed, toward the headboard, and folded her legs underneath herself as she sat between the foot and head of the bed, a little off-center.

Neither one of them had bothered to turn on the room light so as Emma took everything in, she sat in darkness with the shadows in the room to keep her company. The only light came from the hallway and a slit in the curtains that covered the room window, which allowed moonlight into the room.

Though she'd already seen all there was to see in the room, Emma continued to look around with an obvious nervousness and uncertainty. It only lasted for another couple of minutes before Regina returned with a shirt and running shorts. When she saw Regina, she instantly perked up and hid her uneasiness.

"Even as a teenager you're still a little taller than me," Regina said as she walked into the room and handed over the clothes. "The shorts stop just above my knees so they'll probably be a little shorter on you."

"Thanks," Emma said as she accepted the clothes.

Without thinking about it, Emma set the clothes down beside her on the bed and peeled off her dress.

"Miss Swan," Regina exclaimed as turned away from the blonde with her hands raised to block Emma's body from view. "You can wait until I leave the room."

Emma laughed as she pulled the white T-shirt over her head.

"That idea completely slipped my mind," Emma said then pulled on the shirt to adjust the way it covered her. "We're both women. Besides, I change in the backseat of the Bug all the time and Neal's usually in the front seat, occasionally stealing a glance. So modesty isn't really a thing with me. Street kid, remember?"

Regina guiltily looked down at the floor, her body still turned away from Emma.

"Yes, I remember," Regina quietly, slowly said.

Emma walked around Regina and stopped in front of her.

"I'm dressed now," Emma teasingly smiled.

Regina forced her own smile to diminish her embarrassment, but the smile was awkward and Emma saw right through her.

Emma didn't comment on it, however.

"Thank you for not looking though," Emma said. "It's nice to know someone respects me enough."

"I take it not many people care about you and how things effect you."

"No one," Emma sadly admitted.

"Not even your boyfriend?"

"Neal? I..."

Emma stepped back a few steps and frowned. She looked hurt and Regina immediately wanted to fix it. Though why she felt compelled to do so was beyond her.

"I'm sorry," Regina swiftly moved closer to Emma. "I shouldn't have mentioned it. You don't have to talk about him."

Emma's eyes shot up and she instantly met Regina's gaze.

"Why do you care?"

Her tone wasn't entirely harsh, but Emma didn't mask her irritation.

"I..." Regina shook her head, taken aback. "Things...changed because of Neverland."

Emma furrowed her brows in confusion.

"Neverland?"

Emma realized after a few seconds why Regina had mentioned what she thought was only a make believe world in a Disney movie and relaxed her features in recognition.

"Right. Fairytales are real and it's completely possible I was in Neverland."

Regina gulped when she saw Emma try to piece together the reality shattering information. She'd seen Emma like that once before after the curse broke. When Emma wasn't pissed about the truth that fairytales existed and that she was a part of them, the blonde was thrown for a loop and greatly overwhelmed.

"This is too much too fast, isn't it," Regina asked, though it sounded more like a statement. "Get some sleep and we'll talk in the morning."

Emma awkwardly, almost sheepishly, nodded and allowed Regina to head for the guest room door without any argument.

Once Regina was gone and Emma was alone again, the blonde teen settled into the bed and removed her glasses. She placed them on the nightstand to her left and sank into an uncomfortable sleep.

* * *

A loud thud followed by a groan woke Regina in an instant. She threw off her covers and flew out of bed. She checked Henry's room out of habit and sighed with relief in the doorway when she saw him safely curled up in bed. She frowned when she saw his fists tightly clutching his sheets and pillow and his brow furrowed in what appeared to be deep concentration or unrest.

But the sound of a door opening and rapid footfall alerted Regina to a more pressing issue.

Regina looked at Henry one last time before she quietly left his room, closed the door behind herself, and looked for the one other person in her house. She didn't have to look far because Emma almost collided with her when she tried to turn from Henry's room to the guest room.

"Oh, sorry," Emma said as she defensively lifted her hands and pulled away from Regina before their bodies could ever touch.

"What are you doing," Regina asked, shocked but also a little concerned.

"I...had a bad dream," Emma replied, slightly breathless.

"And that got you rush out of the room because...?"

"I don't... I _can't _stay here."

"Why not?"

"I just want to go to my car. I don't...I don't do well in new places," Emma timidly averted her eyes and pulled at the running shorts when she felt the lack of pockets for her to tuck her hands into.

"You can't go to your car," Regina apologetically said.

"What? Why?"

Emma looked absolutely panicked.

"It's in the shop."

Emma looked devastated.

"But what can I do to make you comfortable _here_," Regina asked.

"Nothing. It's just..." Emma trailed off.

"Henry..." Regina slowly started as she racked her brain for a solution. "Usually likes hot chocolate after a nightmare."

Emma shook her head.

"That's not... It won't help."

"You're sure?"

"Yeah."

"Okay, well...why don't you go back into the guest room. Just sit and...talk to me about it?"

"I want to go home," Emma exclaimed with wide eyes.

"To your apartment?"

"No, to my _car_. I need to get out of here," Emma panicked and started to hyperventilate.

Emma rushed forward and tried to pass Regina, but the brunette stopped her.

"It's okay," Regina soothingly assured her. "Whatever it was, it was only a dream."

Emma shook her head again, her eyes filled with tears that threatened to fall.

"It was real," Emma said. "They always are."

"Okay. You can't get to your car so...what else will calm you down?"

Emma gulped and a tear rolled down her cheek.

"Nothing," Emma quietly said.

"I'm sure that's not true," Regina said as she gently touched Emma and turned her toward the guest room, careful not to startle the younger woman in any way. "Go back to bed. I promise you're safe here."

Emma took a few ragged breaths as she tried to collect herself on the way back to the guest room.

"You know, what you're doing now? I think you make a great mom," Emma confessed with a voice thick with tears. "The kid's lucky to have you."

Regina smiled when her heart soared at the compliment.

"Thank you."

Regina guided Emma into the guest room and eased the blonde onto the bed.

Emma slid up to the head of the bed and leaned against the headboard.

Regina sat on the edge of the bed beside Emma and an awkward silence swept over the room. After a moment, she cleared her throat and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

"Since you're awake," Regina started. "Will you tell me something about yourself?"

"Don't you already know me? It's _me _who should learn something about _you_."

Regina thought about that for a moment.

"You're right. You're staying here in this town, in this house, and yet you really don't know anything about me. How about I tell you how we met?"

"Or you could tell me your favorite color and a childhood memory," Emma suggested and forced a teasing smile that looked nothing short of nervous and timid.

Regina chuckled.

"Okay. My favorite color is black, although I do like purple and red as well," Regina appeased the other woman. "As for childhood memories, I don't have many good ones and all of them have references to what you believe to just be fairytales."

"Tell me anyway," Emma shrugged.

Regina took a deep breath and began.

"I love horseback riding. It was the only time I felt free. I rode frequently and took lesson after lesson. I didn't start to excel until I was about your age, though when I was fifteen I started to develop an affinity for it. Agility came within the next year, and complete confidence in my skills by the time I was eighteen."

"Do you still ride," Emma curiously asked.

"No," Regina sadly admitted. "Not in many years."

"Why not?"

"I...loved someone once. He was a stable boy and, when I was eighteen, he and I would use my lesson time to be together in secret. I no longer ride because I lost him that same year."

"Lost him?"

"He...died," Regina struggled to say.

"Oh. I'm sorry," Emma sincerely said.

Emma waited only a few seconds as she looked over Regina's saddened features before she attempted to lighten the mood.

"My favorite color is green, but I kind of like yellow too. Only because of my car. I don't usually wear yellow."

Regina slowly smiled at Emma's attempt to keep her from her own morose and troubling thoughts.

"What shade of green," Regina asked.

"More emerald."

"Like your eyes," Regina said without thinking. "When the light is just right, usually when you're inside a room, they're green. But if you're out in the sun they almost look blue."

Emma's lips curled into a slow forming smirk.

"You pay_ that _much attention to me? Or...the older me?"

"Of course not," Regina quickly said and looked away, seemingly upset.

But, after a moment, Regina smiled and looked at Emma again.

"You like me, don't you," Emma asked with a hint of smugness, a hint of teasing.

"I merely tolerate you, dear," Regina casually said.

"Right," Emma sarcastically said. "Not even _Neal _could tell me what color my eyes are let alone go into detail like you did."

"That's because Neal is a blind fool. Most men are," Regina quipped.

Emma chuckled.

"You got me there."

"Think you're ready to go back to sleep," Regina said.

"Yeah. ...Thanks," Emma sweetly smiled.

"You're welcome," Regina said as she stood up.

Emma removed her glasses for the second time that night and set them down on the nightstand to her left then slid down the bed to lay on her back.

Regina tried to say something else, but a terrified cry caught both Regina and Emma's attention.

"Mom? Mom?!"

"Henry," Regina called out to him. "Sweetheart, it's okay. I'm here."

Regina hurried to the door and stepped out into the hall.

The second Henry saw her, he ran straight into her at full speed.

Regina grunted under her breath when he crashed into her and tightly wrapped his arms around her waist.

"I thought you left me," Henry cried into Regina's chest.

"I would never leave you," Regina said as she stroked his hair.

"You weren't in your room," Henry said.

"Emma had a nightmare."

"Emma's here?"

"Yes, but...something's happened," Regina warned him as he let go of her and cautiously went into the guest room.

Henry stood stunned halfway into the room when he saw her.

"Mom?"

Emma, the younger Emma, blinked in confusion.

Regina inched closer to Henry as she reentered the room.

"Henry, Emma accidentally cast a spell on herself," Regina explained, her body rigid as though telling him the truth was equivalent to walk barefoot over broken glass.

"A spell? She used magic?"

"Yes, but I don't think she meant to."

"Why," Henry asked Emma.

Emma shrugged.

"You got me, kid. I don't even know what happened. I barely even know where I am right now."

"So..." Henry slowly, timidly started. "You don't know _me_?"

Emma looked to Regina for help. The brunette gave a slight nod, a little unsure of her own decision to allow Emma a chance to explain herself. Without anything more to go on, Emma looked at Henry again.

"Henry," Emma answered.

Henry took a step closer to the bed.

"Regina's son by adoption, mine by birth," Emma continued.

Henry smiled.

"Yeah. Do you remember Operation Cobra?"

Emma apologetically looked at him.

"Sorry, that I don't remember."

Henry's face fell and he frowned down at the ground.

Recognizing that sad, almost lost, look in his eyes she'd seen plenty of times in the mirror, Emma sprang into action.

"Hey," Emma said as she put her glasses back on and threw her legs over the side of the bed. "Regina's gonna help me get back to my normal age, but that doesn't mean you and I can't make a few new memories before then, right?"

Henry smiled again.

"Yeah, we can."

"Okay, why not start now?"

"Um, it's almost one in the morning. I have school today."

"And yet you're not in bed," Emma pointed out. "How come?"

"I had a nightmare."

"You too, huh?"

"Yeah," Henry looked down, sheepish and embarrassed.

"What was it about?"

"What was yours about," Henry asked with a smile that Emma saw for what it was though she knew he hadn't wanted her to.

Henry was avoiding his problems. Emma knew that all too well from experience.

"How about we tell each other at the same time," Emma asked as she shifted on the edge of the bed to face him.

Henry scrunched up his face in thought and after a moment, he nodded in agreement.

"Okay," he said.

Emma patted the space next to her on the bed and Henry sat down beside her. He turned to face Emma and tucked his legs under himself.

"Ready," Emma asked.

"Yeah," Henry replied.

Regina leaned against the door frame with a curious, wondering expression on her face. She watched with rapt attention how Emma dealt with Henry. She'd never heard the blonde say it, but she figured the tough woman she met the night she brought Henry home had been ill-fit as a mother at eighteen. As she watched Emma then, however, she wanted to know why Emma seemed so comfortable around the son she once gave up. More comfortable than Regina had been the first three or four years of Henry's life.

"One, two..." Emma slowly counted.

Emma stared at Henry for a few seconds to gauge the boy's actual readiness then continued.

"Three," Emma said before she waited a second with baited breath to ensure they spoke at the same time.

Simultaneously, Emma and Henry spoke over each other.

"Being left alone and having to fight for my life," Henry said.

"Being abandoned by everyone because no one wants me," Emma confessed at the same time.

Henry's face broke out into a large smile.

"You think about that stuff too," he asked.

Emma flashed a faint smile in response.

"Yeah," she quietly admitted before she decided to focus on the only real child in the room. "What about you? Left alone to fight for your life?"

"Yeah," Henry looked down, ashamed.

"What happened to make you think like that," Emma asked.

"Um," Henry said as he nervously rubbed the back of his neck. "In...Neverland I thought I was going to be stuck with the Lost Boys because nobody had come to get me yet. It...it wasn't all bad, but...I really just wanted to go home."

Emma frowned.

"Hey," Emma said as she hooked a finger under his chin and lifted his head to make eye contact with him. "You have a mom who loves you and clearly, will do anything for you. And you're home now so it looks like you got what you wanted."

Henry halfheartedly smiled.

"Yeah," he shrugged.

"Were you remembering Neverland," Emma asked. "Or were you just dreaming about a what-if situation?"

"Kinda both?"

"Okay," Emma nodded as she thought about his answer. "Well, you got scared because you were alone, right?"

Henry sadly nodded.

"I got scared for the same reason so...do you think you'd want to keep me company tonight?"

"You mean, like, stay in here with you," Henry asked.

"Yeah," Emma smiled. "I don't...I don't know how to not be alone, but I can try."

Henry beamed and crawled over to the other side of the bed. He lifted the sheets and slid under them.

Emma watched him with a smile as he moved into the bed and chuckled when he made himself comfortable under the sheets.

Regina smiled as well from her place in the doorway. She knew Emma had given Henry the best gift the boy could have ever asked for because since Neverland, he often worried Emma would leave him again like she had after he'd been born. She was happy to see Henry happy and stood in awe at what Emma had done. Eighteen years old and she hadn't seemed to remember much about her life in Storybrooke, but Emma had done something Regina thought was out-of-character for the younger woman. Apparently, there was more to Emma's story then she initially realized.

"Do you want to ask your mom to stay too," Emma asked as she situated herself in the bed.

"You mean my _other _mom," Henry asked.

Emma cringed.

"Yeah. Sorry, I just... It's all still a little new to me," Emma explained. "Forgive me?"

"Yeah," he proudly smiled up at her.

"Cool," Emma smiled back.

"Um," Henry nervously said as he looked from Emma to Regina. "I would, but..."

"It's okay," Regina shook her head and stopped him. "I understand. If either of you need me, I'll be in my room."

Regina walked toward the bed and bent down. She leaned in and gave Henry a kiss on the forehead.

"Goodnight, sweetheart," Regina said.

"'Night, Mom," Henry smiled up at her.

"Can I get in on that goodnight kiss thing too," Emma teased with a smirk.

"Ew," Henry laughed.

Regina chuckled at Henry's reaction.

"_Goodnight_, Emma," Regina grinned as she warningly pointed at the teen, no kiss given.

Emma smiled in a way that made it look like she had suppressed a giggle then removed her glasses yet again. She set them on the nightstand when Regina reached the doorway then turned in bed to face Henry.

Regina looked over her shoulder one last time before she left the room and felt a warmth in her chest she hadn't felt in years. Though she knew Emma had some issues to work out for as long as she remained eighteen, seeing her do for Henry what she hadn't been able to do all grown up made Regina momentarily pleased.

Regina closed the door and smiled her way down the hall into her own bedroom.

Henry watched Emma lay down and a few seconds after she pressed her head on the pillow, he asked a question that had started to eat away at him; one that lead to the real questions he wanted to ask.

"Do you think you could be a mom at your age?"

"At eighteen or at twenty-nine?"

"Eighteen."

"No. Hell no."

"Why not?"

"I'm not... I can't give a kid what they need."

"You're giving me what _I _need right now."

"That's different."

"How?"

"You're older and I'm not providing for you. Regina is."

"But you're comforting me after a nightmare," Henry said as though that should change everything.

"Because I understand how you feel," Emma casually said. "It's not even _half _of what a mother should do for their kid. Not that I'd really know anything about mothers. All I know is, I'm not it."

Henry seemed to accept that answer, no fuss and no disappointment.

"Well, so far I think you're doing a great job," Henry said.

"Thanks, but I'm not doing anything," Emma said before she yawned. "Now get some sleep, kid. Tomorrow will be hell if you're drop dead tired all day."

Emma started to drift off and Henry slowly smiled.

"I'm sure you being eighteen again isn't supposed to be a good thing...but I think it will be for us," Henry confessed.

Emma only hummed in response. Within a matter of minutes, mother and son fell asleep in the same queen sized bed for the first time since his Neverland nightmares had started.

* * *

Regina turned off her alarm clock at six forty-five the next morning, went to her walk-in closet, and dressed herself for the day. She made herself presentable, as she did every day for the last two – almost three – decades with makeup, heels, and tamed hair. She proceeded with her routine and went to wake Henry – because her son had apparently inherited Emma's internal clock and never woke up on time for anything without his mother's help – and checked his room before she remembered last night's events.

When she opened the guest room door, Regina immediately saw Henry curled up against Emma's side with his cheek pressed to the blonde's stomach. He had an arm draped over Emma's waist just above the waistband of the running shorts Regina had lent the younger woman.

Emma just laid on her back, one of her arms casually on the bed behind Henry and the other bent at the elbow with her hand close to her own head. Her face was twisted up in a troubled expression, but for the most part she seemed peaceful, calm.

Regina suddenly felt the need to capture the moment so not only did she commit the sight to memory, but she grabbed her cell phone and snapped a picture. For some reason, she thought Henry might need to see it sometime. For the days he worried Emma didn't love him as much as he loved her, she would have that picture and she'd prove him wrong. At least she hoped that if she showed him the picture it would convince him Emma really did love him.

She slipped the phone back into her blazer pocket, which she'd later transfer into her purse on her way out the door like she normally did, and crossed the room. She leaned over Henry's side of the bed and brushed her fingers through his hair.

"Henry," Regina whispered, careful not to wake Emma because she honestly had no idea what to do with the blonde. "Henry."

Regina gently shook him, which also shook Emma due to Henry's position across the woman's stomach, and finally got him to stir.

Henry grumbled and rubbed the sleep from his eyes as he sat up in bed.

"Time for school," Regina said, barely above a whisper.

"Already," Henry asked with a frowned.

"Yes. Come on. Get dressed, brush your teeth.

"I know the drill," Henry sleepily groaned as he slid off the bed and walked out of the room.

"Just think, it's your last week before Christmas break. A few more days and I'll finally let you sleep in for a month."

Regina watched him leave then turned back to look at Emma. The blonde shifted in bed and rolled onto her side.

Emma groaned and then desperately, sadly whimpered.

Regina frowned and intently stared at Emma as the blonde started to tangle herself in the sheets.

So much for peaceful.

Emma balled up a fist and tightly clutched the sheets as she tucked her chin to her chest with a pained expression on her face.

Regina sympathetically looked down at Emma, but struggled to find the right thing to do in that situation. Without a solution to whatever Emma's problem was, Regina sighed and went downstairs to fix a quick breakfast for Henry in the kitchen.

Ten minutes later, she had two pancakes on a plate with toast and a glass of orange juice set out for Henry, who had impeccable timing when it came to food, as he walked into the kitchen seconds after she prepared his plate.

"Good morning," Regina smiled when she turned to Henry as he grabbed his plate.

"Morning," he said before he headed into the dining room.

Regina followed him into the dining room with a bowl of oatmeal and a travel mug filled with hot tea.

"Are you tired," Regina asked.

"A little. But..." Henry paused when he took a seat at the table then smiled up at Regina. "I slept really well after the nightmare."

"Really," Regina asked, only partially shocked to hear that.

"I know she's not exactly Emma, _our _Emma, but for now I kinda like her this way," Henry confessed. "She seems less distant."

"Well, she's only been here one night," Regina said to ensure Henry didn't get his hopes up.

Then Regina realized just what exactly Henry had referred to Emma as.

"And she's not _our _Emma. She's _yours_. Saying she's ours implies that we're..." Regina paused as she tried to get the words out. "A family or something to that effect."

Henry rolled his eyes at Regina's argument about our Emma versus his Emma. When he replied, however, he chose not to comment on that part of their conversation.

"I know she's only been here one night, but last night was better than any night I've spent at her place in the last two or three months."

"It's been that long since you had a good time at her place," Regina asked, sad and surprised.

"Yeah," Henry frowned before he took a bite out of a pancake. "But being eighteen again might be the way we can connect."

"I hope that's the case," Regina softly said.

"You're going to look into the spell she cast, right," Henry asked as he started to devour his pancakes.

"On my lunch break. Storybrooke isn't going to run itself."

"I'm glad you were re-elected. What would you have done if the town didn't want you to be Mayor again?"

"I think the only reason I _am _Mayor again is because no one else could handle the job."

"Still, what would you have done?"

"I'm not sure. I probably would have forced my way back into office."

Henry laughed.

"Yeah, I can see you doing something like that."

Regina smiled at him then looked at the time.

"Five minutes," she warned him.

"Can you drop me off today?"

"You...you want me to take you to school?"

"Yeah. You know, 'cause I didn't let you sleep with Emma and me last night. And I really did want to ask you to, but because Emma–"

"I told you last night I understood. Emma's got a lot of work to do to prove herself to you, doesn't she."

Regina hadn't even bothered to say that as a question. She and Henry both knew the answer.

"I think you know too much about my Emma problems," Henry said.

"I'm your mother, I'm supposed to know more than you'd like me to."

Henry smirked.

"True. It's probably better than you _not_ caring about me or what I do."

"Have I told you how happy I am to have you back," Regina asked.

"Only every day."

"Well, I mean it. I don't want you to think for one _second _that I don't love you because I do."

"I know."

"What about Emma?"

"What about her?"

"You know she loves you too, right," Regina asked.

Henry shrugged.

"I guess."

"I know she doesn't always show it, especially lately, but I can assure you she does, Henry."

"You're defending her," Henry said like it was the strangest thing to happen.

"And?"

"It's weird."

"It's not _bad_, is it?"

Henry shook his head.

"No, I just...I guess a lot really _has _changed since Neverland."

Regina looked at the clock again.

"Time to go," Regina said as she stood, clearly avoiding the topic Henry had seemingly unwittingly brought up.

Henry lifted his plate and carried it back to the kitchen. He scraped the leftovers into the trash then rinsed off the plate. He left the plate in the right side of the sink, which was reserved for dirty dishes, to let it soak then made his way to the front door and grabbed his backpack on the way out.

Regina followed him to the door and looked over her shoulders at the stairs. Thoughts of Emma filled her mind. She hoped, after what she'd read in Emma's public records when she had Sidney Glass look into them, that Emma wouldn't do anything foolish or crazy while the proverbial cat was away.

* * *

**Note: Leave a review and let me know what you think because I absolutely love your feedback and could always use a smile. Also, since a few of you were really kind and said you'd be there for me if I needed someone to talk to and others were sympathetic that my life wasn't very happy the last time I posted, I thought I'd give you an update on that as well.**

**My grandpa passed away a short time after I had posted chapter 2. I had to rush up to my home state of Ohio and stayed there for a week for the wake and the funeral. After that, school became a nightmare and I'm on the verge of failing a really important class. If I fail that class, I won't be graduating in June as planned. So, things got hectic and I had to take the time to work at it. In fact, I'm STILL working on it. **

**BUT, I thankfully am on holiday break so for the next four weeks, expect nothing but updates from me. :) Though I still have a few film school stuff to finish up over the break, I'll mostly be updating if I'm not out enjoying time with family and friends. **


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: I forgot to mention in my notes for the last chapter that I made a playlist for this story. You'll have to look up the songs on YouTube and/or download them on your own, but there's a track list and album art for you to check out if you want to have music to go with this. The playlist/fan mix can be found here: ** post/68440128888/that-holiday-magic-fan-fic-playlist-01-the-new.

**Enjoy the chapter! More to come soon. :)**

* * *

**That Holiday Magic**

**Chapter 4**

Emma woke up alone that morning. It wasn't anything new to her because she usually woke up alone unless Neal had slept in and stayed in the Bug with her. But last night was different. She wasn't with Neal, she didn't have her Bug, and she hadn't fallen asleep alone.

As she looked around the empty guest bedroom, she sighed and threw off the covers. Slowly, Emma made her way downstairs and on the way, she realized how quiet it was in the house. She frowned when she reached the first floor and noticed the emptiness of the living room.

Emma awkwardly inched into the kitchen, which was also empty. Her tense body relaxed as she went from awkward to sad, maybe even a little disappointed when she ran a hand over the barren kitchen counter. No note, no food, not a trace of the inhabitants of the house left to explain their absence.

She walked around the counter and came to a stop in front of the refrigerator. Though she knew it wasn't her place and Regina had been kind enough to let her stay the night, she decided to be her usual self and take what she wanted and what she could.

Thankfully, Regina was one of those people – one of those _moms – _who kept plenty of leftovers stocked in the fridge.

Emma had choices.

She scanned the shelves and took in the sight of several mixing bowls, casserole dishes, covered dinner plates, and Ziploc containers. She grabbed one of the containers, lifted the lid, and inspected it with her eyes and nose. Satisfied, she set the container down on the counter and searched for clean plates. After she found one, she put the food on the plate and slid it into the microwave. She closed the microwave door and pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose to settle them more firmly on her face. She backed away from the microwave and held her hands out at her sides. When her palms hit the counter behind her, she applied pressure and hoisted herself onto the counter top while she waited.

With the sound of the microwave being the only sound in the house, Emma looked around again, a little bored. Her boredom quickly turned to sadness as she took in the neatness of the house and the silence around her. She frowned and looked down at the floor from her spot on the counter.

* * *

When Regina walked into Granny's for her lunch break that day, she realized she liked the atmosphere less and less each day. The fact that Snow White and her beloved Prince were inside had more than a little to do with her new feelings toward the establishment.

"You two are friends, right," Snow asked, panicked and concerned.

"Yeah," Ruby quickly confirmed. "But I haven't talked to her since last night before her magic stunt. I thought she left with you."

"She did, but," Charming started.

"But she ran off,"Snow cut him of to finish for him. "Climbed out the window, actually."

"Well, well," Regina startled all three of them with the sound of her purred words.

In that moment, she sounded every bit like the smug Evil Queen she once reigned as in another life, another realm.

"The two proud parents have lost their daughter. What a great example to set for the one on the way. First, you put Emma in a tree trunk and shipped her to this land. Now, you've been oblivious enough to let her wander off like you didn't hear the same, if not _more_, things about her adolescence and childhood in Neverland than I did."

Snow flared at her former stepmother.

"None of this would have happened if you hadn't taught her magic in the first place," Snow growled.

"That was something you two idiots agreed to," Regina defended herself. "You even _watched_. Besides, she has magic all on her own. What she did could have happened whether I taught her how to _control _her magic or not."

That shut Snow White up. If only Charming had decided to stay quiet.

"What have you done with her," Charming loudly asked as he rushed toward her in a predatory step forward.

"Nothing."

"You at least have to know where she is," Charming said. "Otherwise you wouldn't care to taunt Snow."

"Oh, I always care to taunt Snow," Regina grinned as she looked from Charming to Snow then back again before she continued. "It's a bit of a hobby for me. ...But you're right. I do know where Emma is."

Snow moved around Charming to look straight at Regina.

"Where is she," Snow angrily asked. "Regina, if you hurt her–"

"I haven't harmed her in the slightest," Regina immediately shot down the claim with detest. "She's at my house and she came willingly."

"Like you didn't coerce her in some way," Snow snarled, her eyes narrows into slits.

"I really didn't. In fact, you're daughter not only came came to me of her own volition, she also _broke in _last night."

Snow and Charming looked flabbergasted.

"She broke in," Snow asked out of shock. "Well, if she damaged anything or jammed your lock, we'll pay for it."

"No need," Regina dismissively waved her hand. "She's very skilled at breaking and entering. Nothing is amiss. Although, I believe my grocery expenses will double with her around."

"We can pay for that too," Snow offered, sounding more like Mary Margaret.

"I can handle it," Regina insisted with a haughty purr.

"Why are you being so kind about all of this," Charming asked.

"I think the real question is, why are you two so blind about all of this?"

"All of what," Snow asked with a confused expression as she shook her head.

Regina sighed out of irritation and suppressed the urge to roll her eyes.

"Thank you for proving I'm right," Regina slowly growled in the way she normally did when it came to Snow White and her ignorance.

Regina turned to the counter and immediately grabbed Ruby's attention with her sharp, dark eyes.

"I'll take my usual," Regina said to Ruby as she placed her forearm on the counter and leaned on it.

Ruby looked frightened of Regina's dark eyes, more like her Storybrooke self afraid of the big bad Mayor. Then, she straightened up and looked Regina over before her mouth formed a tight line and her gaze steeled over, more like Red from the Enchanted Forest close to Wolf's Time.

Ruby didn't say anything else before she spun on her heels and headed back to the kitchen, but Regina knew the lean brunette had wanted to.

Regina gently pushed herself away from the counter and looked at Snow and Charming once again.

Somehow, Snow's demeanor had changed from furious with Regina to concerned about Emma.

Regina did roll her eyes that time.

"She'll be fine," Regina tried to assure her.

"And we're supposed to believe you'll see to that," Charming asked, apprehensive and still a little angry.

"Oh, you don't have to believe that," Regina started. "I don't care if you don't trust me, but apparently your daughter does. I won't break that trust."

"Why not," Snow asked. "You're not the most trustworthy person and Emma has mistakenly sought you out for whatever reason. Why not just let her figure things out for herself?"

Regina scoffed.

"Is that what you would do if she had stayed with you two?"

"No, but we're her parents. You're just..." Snow trailed off as she visibly struggled to find the right word to describe the other woman.

"I'm just making sure that whatever caused Emma to revert the way she has doesn't destroy Henry," Regina firmly said. "Besides, I know what it's like to be left to 'figure things out' for yourself at that age. Emma's already done it once. Why should she have to do it again? I sure as hell wouldn't want to relive _my _past, so I'll give Emma the opportunity to change hers."

"Are you saying you're going to keep her stuck like this? Reliving her life from eighteen all the way to who she is now," Charming asked.

"Of course not. She needs to fix something inside herself before she can change back. The only way to do that is figure out the cause of her transformation, as I've already told you yesterday."

"So...you're going to help her," Snow skeptically asked.

"Yes, Snow. I'm going to help her. Since you clearly ignore your own daughter, I'm sure you've also blatantly ignored your grandson as well. Whatever is bothering Emma is starting to hurt Henry. I refuse to let their relationship be effected by her fragile, emotional state."

"Sounds a lot like tough love," Charming said, displeased and judgmental.

"So far she's given me no reason to be harsh with her," Regina responded. "In fact, she may be a little rough around the edges, but she's not exactly like her twenty-nine year old self."

"If you hurt her–" Charming started to threaten her before Regina cut him off.

"Maybe you should be less concerned with what I'm doing and focus on _Emma_. Something's bothering her and instead of trying to figure it out, like _I _am, you choose to question my motives and challenge me."

Ruby walked out to the counter with a carry-out bag in hand and set it on the counter in front of Regina.

"Here," Ruby flatly said as she let go of the handles to the plastic bag.

Regina grabbed the bag and gave a curt nod to Ruby as a silent thank you before she turned to Snow and Charming once again.

"Congratulations on the baby, by the way," Regina said as she looked from Snow to the woman's slightly rounded stomach. "Maybe this time you'll get it right."

Snow gasped and Regina walked away from the couple with a sinister and wickedly proud grin on her face. The grin only lasted two steps before her expression fell and her features showed her disdain for the truth in her statement.

* * *

Emma had gobbled down most of the things in Regina's refrigerator and explored the house. The only room she had yet to take a closer look at was Regina's bedroom. For some reason, she respected the older woman enough to keep out of her private space. She rarely respected anyone given the people she'd come across in her sad and troubled past.

She made a note of the parlor and drink cart as well as the hidden liquor cabinet that shelved a backup stash of drinks for those on display on the cart plus a few extra, harder beverages tucked away.

When she headed into the living room to inspect the DVDs in the shelving unit on the right side of the entertainment system, Emma's phone rang. She scrunched up her face in distaste at the sound of the uneventful trill the phone emitted then pulled it out of her jacket pocket. The caller ID read, "Neal."

Emma rolled her eyes and pressed "Ignore" before she stuffed the phone back into her pocket and continued toward the DVD collection. She opened the glass windowed cabinet and browsed through the first row of movies when her phone chirped again.

Emma growled and pulled out her cell phone for the second time. The caller ID read the same. Neal. She didn't hesitate to ignore the call then either, but that time she abandoned the DVDs and started to play around with the phone. She quickly found the ring tone options and tapped button after button for a while until a smirk broke out on her face. Once the problem had been corrected, she slipped the phone back into her pocket and returned her attention to the second row of movies.

It took her only a minute or two for her to scan over her choices, but she never picked one. Instead, she nodded and shrugged at the selection set out before her and moved on. She puffed out a sigh on her way out of the living room and wandered toward the front door without purpose. In fact, she hadn't even realized she'd gravitated toward it until she stopped at it with her hand grasped around the handle.

Emma paused for only a short moment before she pulled the handle and left. She spent the better part of an hour aimlessly walking around town until she saw a sign that said, " Storybrooke Auto Shop." She smiled and added a little bounce to her step as she sped up her pace and headed straight for the garage.

"Hi," Emma greeted as she saw a grease coated man dressed in a grayish blue coverall tinkering with a lifted car.

She scanned the garage and spotted her beat up yellow bug parked near the left corner.

The dark haired man known as Michael Tillman for nearly three decades, stepped out from under the raised car and rubbed beads of sweat off his forehead with the back of his hand. When he saw her, he had to blink a few times before he took a cautious step toward her with curiosity and disbelief written on his face.

"Emma," Michael asked, his confusion evident in his tone.

His voice regained Emma's attention and she looked at the man before she answered him.

"Yeah. Does everyone in this town know me?"

Michael cracked a small smile that faded after only a few seconds.

"Um, yeah. You're the town hero– heroine," he quickly corrected himself. "You look...younger."

"Apparently magic's to blame for that," Emma casually said with a shrug. "Look, is this the only auto shop in town?"

"Yeah."

"Great. Then you have my car."

"The yellow Volkswagen. Yeah, I towed it back here maybe a day ago."

"Right. Is it ready yet? I really want it back."

"You called about it yesterday. I told you I still need some time."

Emma frowned and slumped her shoulders in defeat.

"There's no way you can, I don't know, expedite things?"

Michael apologetically looked at her as he shook his head.

"But I did just get in the part you need," Michael informed her before he changed the sunject. "I know I shouldn't be surprised about the magic, but...what the hell happened to you?"

"Not really sure. Regina says I felt something and then that feeling caused my magic to turn me eighteen again for some reason."

"Regina. So she's _helping _you?"

"Yeah. Seriously, is there anything you can do to get my car back to me by today?"

"Actually, I wasn't going to start on it until I assessed this car," Michael motioned over his shoulder at the car raised on a platform behind him. "But I guess if you need it back that badly–"

"Yes, please! That would be great," Emma hopefully said, her eyes almost as wide as her smile.

Michael smiled.

"Alright. Give me about forty minutes," he said as he turned and headed into his office within the garage.

Just as Michael pushed open the office door, a car sputtered and coughed up exhaust as it pulled into the auto shop driveway behind Emma.

She looked over her shoulder and saw a dark red Cadillac crawl to a stop not far from her. Her expression remained neutral until the driver turned the car off and got out. Her features quickly changed to show her dislike for the newly presented situation.

"Emma," the man greeted with a tone of surprise before he shut the car door. "I've been tryin' to call you."

"And?"

"And you didn't answer."

"Neal," Emma tiredly said. "You leaving me means I don't have to answer when you call."

Neal sighed.

"You're right. I'm sorry."

Michael emerged from his office with a car part in hand and came to stand in the doorway of the garage.

"Hey," Michael said to Neal after he looked up and noticed him with Emma.

"Hey," Neal replied with a greeting nod directed at Michael as he looked at the mechanic from over Emma's shoulder.

"You need something," Michael asked.

"Yeah, actually. Could you take a look at my dad's car? I think it needs an oil change or something."

"Yeah, alright," Michael slowly said. "How's he doing?"

"My dad?"

"Yeah. Rumpelstiltskin."

"He's, uh, feeling better. Although, he needs his meds so I'm kinda in a rush."

"What a shame," Michael sarcastically said.

"Hey, I know better than anyone how my father is and you have every right to not want to help him, but...he's still my dad, y'know? Think you can look at the car as a favor to _me _and not him? I'll owe you."

"We'll see," Michael replied before he looked at Emma. "Your car is my first priority."

Emma flashed him a smile.

"Thanks," she said.

Michael nodded and returned the smile before he turned toward the inside of the garage and disappeared in the direction of Emma's yellow bug.

"How long's it gonna take for him to fix the car," Neal asked Emma.

Emma reluctantly turned back to face him and sighed.

"About forty minutes. Why?"

Neal grimaced and nervously rubbed the back of his neck.

"You think I could take it," Neal asked.

"What?! No. _Hell _no," Emma exclaimed.

"Emma, come on. I need to pick up my dad's prescription at the pharmacy. It'll only be like this for a few more weeks with physical therapy and then he'll be okay enough to get his own refills."

"I don't care! It's _my _car."

Neal made a face before he corrected her.

"Technically it's my car. I stole it first, remember," Neal teased in an attempt to relieve some of the tension he felt start to rise the longer they talked.

Emma shook her head and swallowed her tears. She fished the car keys out her jacket pocket and looked down at them for a second before she looked back up at him.

"Fine," Emma bitterly said. "Take it."

Emma tossed the keys at him and he fumbled them in his hands as he struggled to catch the keys against his chest.

"You've taken everything else. Why not the car too?"

Emma quickly pushed past him and hurried down the driveway of the auto shop.

"Emma," Neal called out as he started to follow after her.

"Stay away from me," Emma threw over her shoulder with growl as she tamped down her urge to cry and focused on anger instead.

"Emma!"

Neal called out to her a few more times, but respected her enough to keep his distance and let her go off on her own. The more he called out to her, however, the stronger his concern bled out in his tone of voice.

After his fifth or sixth attempt to call Emma back to the garage, he gave up and turned back to the shop.

Michael was already standing just inside the garage with his eyes focused on Emma's retreating form, but his amazing peripheral vision granted him a glimpse of Neal turning to face him. The instant he knew he had Neal's attention, Michael looked from Emma to Neal and glared at the man in the driveway.

"Yeah," Neal muttered under his breath. "He's not gonna be doing me any favors."

* * *

Regina sighed as she walked up to her front door. It had been a long day filled with a headache inducing look into her mother's spell book and an exhausting phone call with a bitter Rumpelstiltskin in desperate need of pain killers. All any of that research did was confirm her suspicions about the spell Emma had accidentally performed on herself.

She rummaged through her purse and dug out her house keys, but as she raised the key to stick it in the lock she heard loud music blasting from inside. She furrowed her brow and hesitated before she slid the key in the lock and twisted.

When she pushed open the door, she didn't know what she'd been expecting. The music instantly became louder once the door no longer served as a barrier between her and the stereo. She had predicted that. What surprised her, however, was Emma on the couch in the living room with three different liquor bottles set out on the coffee table. A bottle of whiskey was among the three, but Emma held it by the neck with only half of the amber colored liquid left for consumption.

Regina quickly noticed that Emma hadn't even bothered with tumblers or shot glasses. Apparently, Emma liked her liquor straight out of the bottle. She also only wore the white t-shirt Regina had lent her the previous night and a pair of lace panties.

Emma bobbed her head to the angst riddled rock music and didn't see Regina in the archway until she took a long swig of whiskey. When she tipped her head back, she saw a slight movement out of the corner of her eye and turned her head only to spot Regina staring at her, mouth agape.

"Hey! Regina," Emma exclaimed with a smile. "You're back!"

"I do live here, Miss Swan," Regina said as she looked from the coffee table to Emma's glittering green eyes.

"Nobody comes back when they leave me," Emma sadly and quietly blurted out.

"I didn't leave you," Regina shook her head as she finally stepped into the living room. "I–"

Regina cut herself off and let out a frustrated sigh before she set her gaze on the stereo.

"Can you turn that off," Regina asked as she yelled over the unsettling music.

"Ummm," Emma said as she squirmed on the couch and looked on and around the coffee table for the remote before she inspected the cushions she sat on.

Emma looked behind her on the couch, saw the remote, and grabbed it without a second thought. She pointed it at the stereo on one of three shelves beneath the TV in the entertainment system.

Silence immediately filled the house and Regina relaxed.

"I didn't leave you," Regina calmly started again. "I went to work. I'm the Mayor."

"Oh. Right. Well," Emma perked up again. "Now that you're back, you can sit with me."

Regina furrowed her brow and tilted her head to the side, puzzled by Emma's behavior.

"Come on," Emma said as she patted the space beside her on the couch while she tucked her legs under herself and sat cross-legged.

"Henry should be home from Dr. Hopper's office any minute now," Regina said as she refused to move any further into the living room, which would undoubtedly bring her closer to Emma.

"Dr. Hopper?"

"Yes, he has therapy twice a week. Tuesdays and Thursdays. One day wasn't enough for him after Neverland," Regina confessed.

"Right," Emma nodded. "I'm sure that was a mutual decision? To have him go twice a week?"

"Yes," Regina smiled. "Are you starting to remember anything?"

"Nope," Emma answered a little too quickly. "Come have a drink with me. Maybe I can get the Mayor drunk enough to do or say something embarrassing."

Emma grinned at Regina who rolled her eyes.

Regina set her purse down on the end table beside one side of the couch and dropped her keys back inside it before she relented and sat down on the couch with Emma.

"How was your day," Emma asked before she took another swig of whiskey then held it out to Regina in offering.

Regina put up her hand to stop Emma from nearly pouring the whiskey down her throat and answered the younger woman.

"Unpleasant."

Emma pulled the whiskey bottle back toward herself and drank a fingers worth of it. The only reason she didn't finish off the bottle right then was because of the other woman on the couch.

"How long have you been drinking," Regina asked, deeply concerned as she noticed the bottle of tequila, thankfully still three fourths full.

"Mm, since lunchtime? I don't know. Does it matter?"

"Have you eaten anything," Regina asked as she pulled away from the coffee table and looked over at Emma.

"Not since before I left."

"Which was when?"

"Before I came back and started drinking. Do you always wear tight skirts and a sharp looking jacket?"

"For work, yes," Regina answered. "Emma, what happened today?"

"I was left to my own devices."

"Emma, what's wrong?"

After a silent moment spent staring at Regina, Emma's lips curled into a lazy, lopsided smile.

"Nothing...now that you're here," the blonde replied.

Emma pushed herself onto her knees and leaned forward on the couch, the bottle of whiskey still in hand. She brought her lips close enough to Regina's for them to graze while she threw one leg over Regina's lap and straddled her.

"What are you doing," Regina asked, a little nervous, but more startled.

"Trying to kiss the mayor," Emma flirtatiously said with a smirk.

Regina shot her hands to Emma's hips and squeezed.

"You're drunk," Regina said as she tried to push Emma off of herself.

Emma covered Regina's hands with her own and slid them off of her hips as she leaned further in to bring her mouth even closer to Regina's lips.

"Maybe," Emma nearly purred.

Regina's breath hitched when their lips almost touched, but the contact never came because the moment was interrupted by a loud song that erupted from the blonde's cell phone.

"_Suckin' on my titties like you're wanting me, callin' me all the time like Blondie. Check out my Chrissie behind. It's fine all of the time." _

Emma puffed out an agitated sigh against Regina's lips and physically deflated as she slummed in Regina's lap, her shoulders hunched and body curved toward the brunette in a "C" shape.

"What is _that_," Regina asked, even more shocked about what she heard than about Emma's previous actions.

"_Like sex on the beaches. What else is in the teaches of Peaches?"_

"Neal," Emma groaned as she started to slid off Regina's lap and turned to the coffee table filled with empty and near empty liquor bottles. "He's been calling me all afternoon."

"That does _not _explain the ringtone," Regina said just before the song surprised her even further, something she hadn't thought possible.

"_Fuck the pain away. Fuck the pain away. Fuck the pain away."_

Regina's eyes widened before she pushed herself off the couch and stood.

"Honestly, what _is _that," Regina asked.

Emma picked up her phone and looked from it to Regina and smirked when she saw the stunned expression on the other woman's face.

"It's a song."

"That is not a song," Regina insisted. "That is crude noise."

"It came out a week or two after I met Neal," Emma said.

"And why is it playing now?"

"It plays every time he calls," Emma said as she tossed the still ringing phone on the couch and closed the limited space between them again.

"Turn it off," Regina said as she raised a hand between them at chest level to halt Emma's advance.

Emma looked down at the hand between them and emitted a breathy chuckle. She took a bold step forward and forced Regina's hand to graze one of her breasts. She bit her bottom lip as she grinned and moved as close as possible to the other woman, which caused Regina's hand to trail up to her shoulder.

"Miss Swan–"

"Emma," the younger woman sweetly corrected, her lips temptingly close to Regina's.

"Em-ma," Regina started and went back to her slow and awkward two syllable pronunciation of the blonde's first name. "Please turn it off."

Regina firmly but gently grabbed both of Emma's shoulders and pushed the teen back a step or two.

Emma frowned and looked a little hurt seconds before anger flashed across her features.

"Fine," Emma bit out as she picked up the phone again and silenced it without answering the call.

Emma kept her eyes down and focused on the phone while she bent down and retrieved her discarded dress from the living room floor. When she took the few steps back to her previous position in front of Regina, she only glanced up at the woman a couple of times as she spoke.

"I'm gonna go for a walk," Emma said as she peeled off the borrowed white shirt then pulled her dress overhead and slipped into it.

"Where will you be?"

"Around," Emma replied as she tugged her dress into place.

"Emma–" Regina tried to say something and took a step toward Emma.

Emma immediately took a step back.

Regina tensed up and stood completely still to ensure she didn't push Emma away any further than she felt she already had.

"Bye," Emma quickly said and spun around to face the front door.

"No, wait. Emma, I'm sorry," Regina sincerely tried to apologize, which would have been surprising had she not started to care for the blonde during their time in Neverland and the months that followed upon their return to Storybrooke.

Regina tried to follow after Emma, but, as she had told Emma it would happen soon, Henry came home.

Emma was only a few steps away from the door when it swung open and Henry swiftly stepped inside the mansion. Emma pushed right past him and accidentally bumped hips with the growing young man. She didn't speak a single word even during their half-body collision and that caused Henry to scrunch up his face and frown at the blonde.

Henry looked over his shoulder and watched Emma continue to brush past him and walk out the door. She didn't even bother to close it on her way out.

Henry waited a moment as he continued to watch Emma leave and went back to the front door just as Emma stepped off the porch. He shut the door behind her as she headed down the walkway and turned to Regina with concern etched onto his face.

"What's with her?"

"I think I did something to upset her, but I'm not sure what," Regina admitted.

Henry frowned and dropped his shoulders before he slid his backpack straps off his shoulders and left the bag slumped against the side of the end table by the winding staircase.

"You think one of us should follow her," Henry asked.

Regina shook her head.

"Giving her space might be best."

Henry nodded his acceptance and understanding then made his way into the kitchen. Regina followed him.

"Got any food," Henry asked.

Regina smiled.

"Of course."

* * *

The phone in the Sheriff's station rang every few minutes and went unanswered until David returned from the bathroom. He was still adjusting his shirt inside his pants as he jogged into Emma's office, recently made his until Emma returned to her adult self, and picked up the phone.

"Sheriff's station. David speaking," he quickly answered.

After a moment, the frantic and panicked voice of a concerned citizen caused David's eyes to widen and his jaw to drop with disbelief. "She what?"

David immediately regretted asking for the person on the other end of the line to repeat themselves because they yelled into the phone and nearly caused David to lose his hearing.

"Okay, I'm on my way," David said a split second before he hurriedly hung up the phone, grabbed the Sheriff's badge he'd taken from Emma's apartment before opening the station that day, and left with his gun in the holster secured around his hips.

He disregarded any speed limits the small town of Storybrooke had and sped over to the recent epicenter of negative attention. He no longer had to second guess what he'd heard from the person who'd called it in. Charming saw it clearly from about a mile away as he approached the intersection.

Though he knew the call to be a legitimate concern, Charming still hadn't believed what he saw.

Emma, his daughter, held a titanium bat and swung away at fences and windows to businesses and houses alike as if it were a game of softball.

Charming parked the only squad car the town had on the curb not too far from Emma's rage and rushed out of it to stop any further damage. From the angry looks on several people's faces as they all stood around and watched Emma's violent display of misdemeanors, he knew their family would have to pay for the repairs needed.

"Emma," Charming firmly called out to her just as she pulled back the bat in preparation to hit something else.

Emma didn't even turn to look at him before she smashed through another shop window.

"Oh, come on," one of the townspeople said loud enough to gain Emma's attention.

Emma rounded on him and glared as she took a few steps toward him, bat threateningly raised.

"Emma!"

Charming ran toward his daughter while the man Emma came at with the bat took several steps back to get away from her, arms protectively raised while he cowered away from the teen.

Emma swiftly turned to the right and started to swing at the other window to the fearful man's shop, but she was stopped mid-swing by Charming.

Charming grabbed her from behind with both hands wrapped around her waist and pulled her away from the shop.

"Let go of me," Emma yelled as she squirmed in his tight embrace.

Charming managed to drag her back toward the intersection, closer to the squad car, when Emma managed to elbow him in the ribs. He immediately released her with a groan and bent over at the waist.

Emma wrestled away from him then turned to acknowledge the pain she'd inflicted. Her eyes scanned over the area from Charming to the squad car that temptingly sat parked, unharmed.

Emma marched over to the vehicle and pounded down on the windshield with the bat.

"Hey," a booming female voice called out from up the street perpendicular to the one Charming had parked on.

Emma stopped to find the source of the voice and spotted Granny standing outside her diner with a hand on her hip and a scowl on her face. She looked like a scolding parent ready to rip into their misbehaving child and a part of Emma enjoyed that, even grinned without a care. The other part, the teenager in her that didn't know everyone in town, made the grin disappear and defiantly lifted her chin.

"You better get a hold of yourself, young lady," Granny said to Emma.

"Oh, yeah? And what are you gonna do if I don't," Emma asked, ever the moody teenager with authority problems.

"It's not what she'll do," Charming breathlessly said as he gritted his teeth through the pain of the bruises he knew Emma's elbow to the ribs had caused him. "It's what I'll do."

As Charming finished his statement, Emma heard a pair of cuffs jingle and felt him tug at one of her wrists.

"Not gonna happen," Emma insisted as she yanked her wrist out of Charming's grasp.

Her efforts were pointless when Charming, as gently as possible with still enough force to have the proper effect, pushed her against the hood of the squad car.

Charming didn't hesitate to grab Emma's wrists one at a time and seal the metal cuffs around them. It took only a few seconds for him to cuff one wrist behind Emma's back then pull the blonde's hand away from the bat, which rolled off the hood of the car as soon as she was forced to let go. Within a minute, Charming had his daughter handcuffed in front of a cop car. He frowned at that realization, but started to pull her toward the backseat of the car.

Emma instantly started to fight him, something she hadn't done for a couple of reasons when the cop in Portland had arrested her, and refused to be taken to the Sheriff's station. She wriggled her arms behind her back to free herself from his hands clasped around her forearms while she pushed all of her weight against him the closer they got to the backseat.

"Stop struggling. This is for your own good. I promise," Charming tried to assure her, but Emma hadn't stopped struggling.

"Don't touch me," Emma yelled, which attracted even more attention. "There's _no way _you're locking me up!"

"Just get in the car. Please," Charming pleaded as he held her wrists with one of his hands and opened the back door with the other.

"No!"

Emma stomped down on Charming's foot and spun away from his hold on her like basketball player during a pick-and-roll. She ran for freedom, still cuffed, but out of nowhere Snow White appeared with sadness and worry written all over her face.

"Emma?"

Emma stopped in the middle of the street, trapped by her mother in front of her and her father not too far behind her. She only had two other options, left or right. She looked between her options and saw Granny still standing outside the diner to Emma's right. That only left her with one option if she thought Granny would keep her from her escape plan, which she didn't doubt in that moment at all.

So Emma took off in the only direction that would allow her to disappear from the poorly unfolding scene she'd been stuck in. Her run wasn't as graceful or as efficient as it would have been had she not had her hands cuffed behind her back, but it was all she had to sprint as best she could away from the intersection.

Her run for refuge lasted maybe ten seconds before Charming caught up with her, only a little worse for wear considering the way Emma had attacked him. He grabbed for her forearms and turned her around before he pushed her toward the squad car once again.

Emma frowned and tried a few more moves to injure Charming, but he'd been much quicker that time and avoided every supposed-to-be-hurtful action.

"Let go," Emma refused to give up the fight as she shouted her protest. "Get away from me! Just let me go!"

Everyone that stood outside witnessed the heartbreaking sight of their Queen and her King nearly fall apart at Emma's sad outburst. They watched Charming place Emma into the backseat of the car and close the door on her. They saw her kick around and try to turn her back to the car door so she could open it with her restrained hands. They didn't turn away when Charming got into the car along with Snow hurrying into the passenger's seat before the doors locked and the family drove to the station. Some of the townspeople even saw Emma look out the window with tears in her eyes as the car passed by.

Emma didn't allow herself to cry, however. Her eyes were watery, tears ready to slip out and stain her cheeks, but as weak as she felt on the drive to the station, she wanted to show only strength. She was tough, or at least she liked to believe that. Being the angry little girl she had, she'd developed a tough skin. That didn't mean it didn't hurt whenever she was rejected or detained or abandoned for the millionth time.

By the time they'd made it to the Sheriff's station, both parents still concerned – though Snow showed it more than Charming – Emma had slipped on her angry mask. Her lips were turned down in a frown while her eyes were hard, steely and determined to express her dislike toward the situation.

Charming opened the door for her and reached out to help Emma onto her feet, but the blonde shrugged away from his touch and removed herself from the car on her own. He shut the door behind her and before Emma could even think about running again, Snow lightly grabbed Emma's bicep and led her toward the station door.

Both Snow and Charming got Emma into one of two cells the station had to offer with minimal struggle from the teen. Neither parent seemed to like what they'd done once Emma was locked away behind the metal bars, but when they looked at each other they understood that neither one of them knew how else to handle the situation.

"What should we do," Snow quietly asked as they walked across the room toward the Sheriff's office.

"I honestly don't know," Charming said as he shut the office door to keep Emma from overhearing their discussion.

Charming looked at Emma for a moment longer and watched his daughter dejectedly plop down on the cot within the cell before she leaned back against the cement wall and sat with her legs crossed and folded beneath herself. His eyes fell from the blonde to the floor by his feet with a frown on his face before he turned around and faced Snow.

"Was Emma really like this at that age," Snow asked. "Was she this violent? What could have possibly caused her to react this way?"

"I don't know," Charming shrugged though his tone suggested he was a little frustrated at that point. "I know as much as you do about our daughter."

"I know. I'm sorry," Snow sighed. "I just...I don't know what to do! We tried to keep her at the house, but she ran off before she even gave us a chance. And she ran to _Regina _of all people. Why did she go to Regina? Why did she trust her and not us with giving her a place to stay? We were nice, right? We explained everything she needed to know, didn't we?"

"Yes, Snow. And Regina's the last person I want Emma to trust with all this, whatever this is, but maybe we should just let Emma decide what she needs."

"Well, leaving her in Regina's care hasn't exactly helped the situation, has it," Snow asked.

"I'm sure Regina doesn't even know about this," Charming casually defended the other woman.

"That's my point! She argued just this afternoon that Emma would be fine with her and yet, she's not even _aware_ of the damage Emma's caused."

"We can always call her."

"No," Snow quickly and sharply turned down the idea. "No, she had her chance to prove Emma was better off with her and she obviously isn't capable of helping our daughter."

Snow thought over something and after a moment of reflection, she voiced her plan.

"We'll keep Emma here for half an hour so she can calm down then take her back to the house. She'll stay with us until we can figure out a way to change her back into an adult."

Snow spoke with such finality that Charming sighed in defeat and went along with it. He didn't completely disagree with it, but he still wanted to brainstorm a little more. Though instead of arguing with Snow, he let her have her way.

Parenting was a joint effort with married couples and he intended to keep it that way, especially since anything they did with Emma while she remained in her teenaged body and state of mind would be practice for the baby on the way. But Emma hadn't been gentle with his ribs or foot and he wanted some time to recuperate from the assault as well as having had to arrest his own daughter. He certainly didn't like that weighing on his conscience, but what other option had there been during Emma's destruction?

* * *

Regina had only sat down with Henry for an early dinner when she'd gotten the call. Granny had explained that Emma was on a rampage and the elder woman said she was about to step in herself to ensure nothing else would be smashed in by the furious young blonde.

Regina had looked over at Henry at the dining room table, still on the phone with Granny, and made a decision within seconds before thanking Granny for the heads up and ending the conversation. Once she hung up the home phone, Regina went back to the table and placed a hand on Henry's shoulder.

Henry looked up at his mother and saw everything he needed to know expressed in her eyes.

"It's Emma, isn't it," he stated.

Regina apologetically looked at him and nodded.

Henry set his fork down on the plate he'd barely eaten from and stood. He wordlessly went toward the front door and grabbed his coat.

Regina was much slower while she watched him with curiosity. The fact that Henry knew Emma had done something that required Regina's attention was enough to make her feel bad about the situation, but add to that the fact that Henry was ready to help and Regina was conflicted. She wanted to be proud of him, and a part of her was, but the other part of her knew his awareness and readiness meant he had more to deal with when it came to his relationship with Emma.

She worried about Henry, but due to Granny's phone call she know worried about Emma as well. It was like she had two children to manage and in a way, considering the fact that Emma was a teenager, she did. Though she had hoped that Emma being older than Henry and at an age where most children had grown up significantly would have meant less work than handling two younger children.

Apparently, Emma's adolescence was anything but easily managed. Regina sensed that something was going to have to change in their arrangement if she expected to help Emma as promised.

* * *

Within ten minutes, Regina had arrived with Henry at the diner. She told Henry to stay in the car and scanned around the streets for Emma on her way into the diner. She saw nothing but broken windows and banged up mailboxes, however. The mess left behind told Regina that Hurricane Emma had already came and went.

The bell clanged above the diner door and signaled everyone to a new presence in the room. Only Ruby looked up from what had her preoccupied and when she saw Regina, she immediately turned and retreated to the back room.

Regina slowly made her way up to the counter and stood somewhat awkwardly in front of it. She had a feeling she wouldn't be there long. While she awaited for Ruby's return, she glanced around the diner and as she did, a few of the townspeople within it turned and acknowledged her. Most of them seemed indifferent while a few others seemed a little perturbed when they saw her. She only observed. She didn't even sneer or glare at any of the people that dared looked displeased just because she stood among them. Her only concern came from the information Granny could provide her as soon as she could talk to the gray haired woman who owned the establishment.

Ruby returned with Granny in tow behind her. She gave Regina a small smile of greeting and acknowledgment before she went back to work and went to check on one of the tables.

"Is she here," Regina asked as Granny approached the counter.

Granny shook her head.

"You just missed them. Charming and Snow took her in to the station. Cuffed her and everything, although not without a fight. I'll tell you, Emma's more of a handful than I thought," Granny replied.

Regina frowned.

"They _arrested _her?"

"If you'd have seen her, you probably would have too. She came at a guy with a bat. One that I'm pretty sure she stole from the sporting goods store down the block."

"Thank you again," Regina said before she turned and tried to leave.

Granny stopped her before she got too far.

"I only thought to call you because Ruby told me you came in earlier and said Emma was staying with you."

Regina turned around again, stepped up to the counter, and nodded.

"Why are _you _the one looking after her," Granny asked. "I thought since Snow and Charming are her parents that they'd be better suited for the job. She's not _your_ daughter. You don't have to put up with any of this."

"She came to me," Regina explained.

"Yeah. Doesn't mean you can't just hand her over to Snow."

"I could, but Emma doesn't seem to want that. Otherwise, she wouldn't have gone to my place."

Granny flashed a brief smile that Regina missed due to the quickness it appeared then disappeared from the woman's face.

"Well then, if you _are _going to deal with Emma, she's gonna need someone with a backbone. That girl thinks she can do and say what she pleases and she'll keep acting out like she did today."

"I'm not sure it's discipline she needs," Regina said.

Granny cocked her head to the side, confused as she tried to wrap her head around what could have given Regina that impression.

Regina didn't elaborate though.

"Have a good day," Regina said before she turned and left without any interruption.

When she got back into the car, Henry waited no more than three seconds before he asked Regina about his birth mother.

"Where's Emma?"

"At the station with your grandparents," Regina answered as she shifted in her seat before she closed the car door and started the Mercedes.

"What did she do," Henry asked once they started moving.

"Apparently, your mother enjoys breaking things."

"Cool," Henry smiled and nodded.

Regina shot Henry a warning look.

"No, not cool. She destroyed city property with a presumably stolen bat."

"Really," he excitedly asked.

"You are definitely _her _son," Regina muttered as she looked from Henry back to the road ahead.

Henry heard that even though he figured Regina probably hadn't wanted him to and he grinned most of the way over to the Sheriff's station.

Snow and Charming had barely finished their conversation about what to do with Emma when Regina burst through the door with Henry next to her.

Emma perked up in the jail cell, though she seemed more stunned than happy to see Regina there next to the main hall with an arm slung over one of Henry's shoulders.

A memory popped into Emma's mind as she remembered a time when Regina had looked just as upset with Henry at her side like that. Her hair had been shorter and she'd worn a black pantsuit then instead of the blazer and pencil skirt she currently wore. She remembered Regina gave her permission to hang out with Henry for ten minutes just to get her to leave the station.

Then Snow and Charming disrupted the memory and emerged from the Sheriff's office.

"Regina," Snow addressed the other woman with surprise in her tone.

"What are you doing here," Charming asked as he followed Snow out and the two walked toward Regina and Henry.

"I heard about what happened. I'm here to take Emma home," Regina answered in a tight voice that should have left no room to argue.

The only problem with that was Snow and her inability to give up so easily to Regina even when everyone else knew it would be better for her if she did.

"You've proven she's not at all better off with you than us," Snow shook her head as she spoke.

Emma paid no attention to the woman who claimed to be her mother, however. She had stopped listening to anything else after she heard Regina refer to her home as Emma's home. She wanted to smile, but her doubtful conscience told her Regina only meant it as her home with Henry and the title had nothing to do with Emma. Because of that, Emma barely managed a small smile before it faded away fast. She then sat and waited to hear whatever else Regina had to say while she hoped for a way out of the cell, not too happy that she'd already been arrested a second time at eighteen.

"You could have easily made the same mistake," Regina said when Emma tuned back in to the conversation. "I thought she wanted space. I tried to stop her before she left, but she wasn't interested in staying."

"And I'm supposed to believe that you decided that with her best interest in mind," Snow asked.

"You don't have to believe it," Regina continued to argue. "But I did it because I don't want her to run from me like she's run from you."

That remark visibly stung Snow. It took the pixie haired woman a moment before she mustered up any further retort.

"Well, clearly giving her everything she seemingly wants isn't what's best for her," Snow said.

"That has yet to be determined," Regina said before she walked past Snow and headed toward Emma. "You were angry, right?"

Emma watched Regina approach and knew the question had been directed at her because Regina's gaze stayed solely on herself.

"Yeah."

"You were hurt," Regina asked another question, the space dwindled between her and the bars that kept the two of them separated.

"Yeah," Emma sadly admitted after a moment.

"Do you feel better now?"

Regina stopped right in front of the bars while Emma continued to sit on the cot. Regina placed a hand on the bars and waited for Emma's response.

"Now that you've let it out?"

Emma thought about it as she locked eyes with Regina then replied with a shrug and a nod.

"Yeah," Emma verbalized her answer.

Regina smiled and turned back to Snow and Charming.

"There. It may not have been what was _best _for her, but it did her some good," Regina smugly said with a grin.

Henry looked back and forth from Regina to his grandparents as the three of them argued.

"Now let her out of that cell and leave her to me," Regina calmly and somewhat casually ordered.

Snow shook her head as she took a step toward Regina and opened her mouth to argue further, but Charming gently grabbed her arm and pulled her back.

Charming looked over at Emma in the cell and even though she didn't look back at him, he saw it in the way she stared at Regina. The expression on Emma's face told him she'd rather be with Regina than them. The fact that she'd talked to Regina, answered her questions, when he and Snow hadn't been able to talk to Emma since Charming placed her in the backseat of the squad car convinced him of that.

"Okay," Charming agreed as he let go of Snow's arm and stepped forward as he pulled the keys off his belt loop on his way over to the cell.

Charming walked around Regina and unlocked the cell. When he pulled open the door, Emma slid off the cot and cautiously made her way toward Regina.

Emma bitterly and suspiciously eyed Charming on her way out of the cell, but when she turned her head to look at Regina once again, her features softened.

Charming stood behind Emma at that point as he locked up the recently vacated cell so he hadn't seen it, but Snow and Henry certainly had and only one of them seemed okay with it.

Snow appeared floored by the change in Emma's demeanor, though she finally had the mind not to comment out loud on it. She only crossed her arms over her chest and huffed at the sight.

"Are you okay," Regina asked once she and Emma walked side by side toward Henry.

"I will be," Emma honestly confessed.

"Are you hungry?"

"A little."

"There's dinner at the house. Eating should help sober you up a bit," Regina said when they passed Snow.

"She's drunk?!"

Snow practically shrieked, though she'd only questioned Regina's words loudly in a shrill octave. The small space the family stood in had been the culprit for making it sound more harsh and painful than the woman meant it to come out.

They all cringed at her exclaimed question.

"It's not your concern," Regina simply said as she started to guide Henry toward the station door.

"She's my daughter! Everything she does is my concern," Snow said.

"Snow, just let her handle it," Charming said as he came to stand by his wife.

"What? You're on her side now," Snow asked him.

"Try to relax. I'm sure all of this yelling and getting worked up isn't good for the baby," Charming soothingly spoke.

Snow heavily exhaled then took several short breaths in and out, a breathing exercise she remembered from being in labor with Emma.

"You're right. I'm sorry for raising my voice."

Snow had only directed the apology at Henry and Charming as she rubbed her slightly bigger than usual stomach, about two months too soon to show much protrusion of a baby in the womb.

Regina stopped Emma and Henry just by stopping to turn and look at Charming.

"Thank you," she calmly and genuinely said him.

Charming blinked through his surprise before he replied.

"You're welcome. Just...take care of her?"

Charming chanced a glance at Emma, who didn't seem too touched by his words or the obvious concern in his voice.

Regina nodded in response, unwilling to vocalize her agreement in case it only upset Emma to think she was being "handled."

Regina turned back toward Emma and Henry and the three of them left the station without another word.

* * *

**Note: For those of you that have seen the winter finale "Going Home", my version of what happened after Neverland only left Rumple injured.**

**So, How'd I do? Don't forget to leave a review! Also, thank you so much for all the support you've given not only by following, reviewing, and adding this story to your favorites, but for offering to listen if I ever need to talk. Honestly, your responses to this story and whatever I decide to tell you about what's going on in my life have been astounding. I've never received so much feedback for any of my stories, although I think I've already said as much.**

**I also want to take the time to thank those of you who do review because I'm only three chapters in to this story and yet, I've already broke 100 reviews! That is awesome. Keep it up because every single one of you make my day better and give me a reason to smile. **

**I'm sending ALL of you, not just the ones who reviewed, hugs over the Internet right now. :)**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: In chapter 2 I had mentioned that Neal's somewhat importance was going to be included in chapter 4 and although he was in chapter 4, that's not all I had planned for him. The reason I didn't write it there was because it didn't work with the pacing so Neal is in this chapter as well. Don't worry! I know a lot of you aren't afraid to tell me how much you hate Neal and don't want him to be in this story. I understand that. I do like Neal (at times) as a character all by himself, but I definitely don't like him with Emma. In any case, I'm sure you'll appreciate how Regina handles him, which is the real reason why I added him into this story the way that I have (aside from the fact that he's PART of the reason I believe Emma has abandonment and trust issues.)**

**Anyway, on with the story! :)**

* * *

**That Holiday Magic**

**Chapter 5**

The car ride back to the mansion was as silent as their exit from the Sheriff's station and though it had been awkward, it didn't last past the porch. Just as they were all about to step inside the house, the silence was broken by none other than Henry and things carried on as normal as possible from there.

"How come you were locked up," Henry asked Emma as she, Regina, and himself walked into the dining room.

"I..." Emma almost barreled through the truthful explanation, but stopped herself to look over at Regina for permission on how much information to divulge.

Regina seemed completely taken aback by the similarity between eighteen year old Emma and twenty-nine year old Emma in that moment. It seemed so out of character for the teen, but there the adult seemingly presented. Emma Swan, every bit like the one Regina had gotten to know a little bit more since Neverland – apart from the return of her youth – stood beside her with wide, imploring eyes.

Regina gulped and nodded before she was able to force a small, slightly warm smile.

Emma cleared her throat and turned back to Henry.

"I busted a few windows around town," Emma casually said.

"Mom said you broke things," Henry said in agreement with her statement as he sat down at his place at the dining room table. "Sounds like you had a good time."

"Actually, I didn't," Emma admitted with a frown.

Emma stopped in front of the dining room table and stared at it from one end to the other, lost at where to sit and if she would even be allowed to sit.

"Make yourself comfortable," Regina said when Emma remained frozen in place and hadn't said a word.

Emma turned to look at Regina and noticed the brunette halfway between the dining room and kitchen, her feet on either side of the archway between the two rooms. Though she was grateful to know Regina wanted her to feel comfortable, Emma didn't show it. Instead, she awkwardly shifted on her feet and looked from Regina to the table. She physically tensed and that was the last thing Regina saw before she hesitantly resumed her trip into the kitchen to retrieve the dinner she'd put in the refrigerator before she took Henry and went after Emma.

Emma spent a little less time to scan the table after Regina had made it clear she was more than welcome there, but she still seemed awkward when she finally took a step forward and sat in the seat across from Henry.

"So...what did you use to break the windows," Henry asked while Emma squirmed to find a comfortable position in the chair.

"A bat," Emma flatly stated, casual and indifferent about what she'd done.

"Where did you get the bat?"

Regina walked back into the dining room with the food right when Emma answered.

"I stole it."

Regina set Henry's plate down in front of him and glanced across the table at Emma.

Emma saw the slight, almost parental, warning in Regina's eyes and didn't hesitate to add, "But stealing is bad."

"I'm almost twelve, not five," Henry started. "I know stealing is bad. But if _you _know it's bad, why did you do it?"  
"I wasn't thinking clearly," Emma slowly said as she stumbled over her words, a nervous habit of hers. "And I thought it would help."  
"You told Mom it helped," Henry said as he picked up his fork and started to eat what he hadn't been able to finish earlier.

"Yeah."

"Were you lying?"

"No."

"Then why do you sound sad about it?"

"Has anyone told you that you ask a lot of questions," Emma asked and tilted her head to one side as she looked him over as if to study him and his reaction.

Henry flashed a brief nostalgic smile before it faded and he took a bite of his dinner. He nodded as he chewed and waited until after he swallowed before he elaborated.

"You did once ," Henry said as Regina set down her own plate of food in front of the seat between Henry Emma at the head of thee table. "I think Mom has a few times too."

Regina swiftly floated from her place at the table to Emma's and set an already prepared plate in front of the blonde.

"Thank you," Emma said as she looked up at Regina, who stood close enough to eliminate most of Emma's personal space while she leaned partially over the younger woman's shoulder.

Regina blinked away the shock and confusion the emotions in Emma's eyes caused her. Within those green eyes, Reign saw sincerity, warmth, surprise, and what resembled awe. Young Emma appeared more open and readable like a book in comparison to the heavily guarded and severely closed off older version of the blonde.

Suddenly, Regina saw a part of Emma that told the story of how everything had changed for the young-again woman in the years that had passed after Henry's birth.

"Mom, why are you looking at Emma like that," Henry asked with scrunched up eyebrows, confused and curious.

Regina shook her head and snapped out of her silence to look between Emma and Henry.

"No reason," Regina quickly lied and moved away from Emma to take her seat at the table.

Emma watched Regina pick up her utensils and start on her dinner without another word. Still a little dunk, though her attack on local stores and her short time spent behind bars had sobered her up plenty, she smiled a lopsided smile that read both mischievous and genuinely happy.

* * *

After dinner, Henry got cozy under a blanket on the couch in the living room with his eyes glued to a Christmas movie that played on TV.

Emma had been only slightly tempted to join Henry when he asked if she wanted to watch a movie with him, but she found her place in the kitchen with Regina. She rocked back and forth on her heels and stepped forward just to step back in some kind of awkward dance while the brunette washed dishes and Emma watched from a few feet behind the other woman. As she continued to dance around and remain quiet, she started to rethink the phrase "found her place" because she honestly doubted she belonged in the kitchen let alone in Regina's house.

"You could always help, dear," Regina said to Emma as she continued to wash dishes, though she kept her back to the younger woman.

"Right," Emma snapped into action and walked up beside Regina.

Emma grabbed one of the dirty plates and moved it from one hand to the other as though she had no idea what to do with it.

Regina finished cleaning off the dish in hand and set it down in the drying rack to her right. She turned toward the left side of the sink and saw Emma pass the dirty plate from hand to hand before she scanned her eyes up from Emma's hands to the teen's eyes.

"Why don't you dry and I'll wash," Regina said as she expectantly held out a hand to take the plate from Emma.

Emma looked up from the plate and met Regina's gaze. She sheepishly smiled and handed the plate over to the woman.

During the dish transfer, Regina spotted the flower tattoo on Emma's left wrist. She'd seen it before on the version of Emma she was used to, adult Emma, and had always assumed the blonde hadn't gotten the tattoo until sometime after Henry was born. Why she assumed that, she would never know because she'd known Emma long enough to understand that the younger woman was a bit of a risk taker – not reckless, but bold. She worried that sometimes her eyes gave away the admiration she felt when Emma showed her leadership role, especially during their Neverland journey. Not only did she get to see Emma take action in a more dire situation and impressively rise to the challenge, but she also had a chance to learn more about the woman's past. She specifically remembered what Emma shared about foster care and what Neal had taught her while the two of them lived on the streets together. Somehow, all of that knowledge added up and Regina knew it would help her figure out how to change Emma back to her adult self, but in that moment she recognized there was more to the story of Emma Swan than she'd already learned.

In hopes of uncovering just what she needed to reverse Emma's spell, Regina decided to ask a question that had nothing to do with the ones she knew she should ask first, if only to clear the air about what took place earlier that day.

"When did you get the tattoo," Regina asked and nodded at the ink flower shaded in with yellow and orange and outlined with thick black.

Emma stood on her right side in front of the drying rack and grabbed a plate and dish towel when Regina had asked the question.

"When I was almost fifteen," Emma shrugged and dried off the plate in hand. Regina chuckled and set another plate in the drying rack. "What about you? Any tattoos?"

"A former Evil Queen who didn't know about electricity, running water, and other modern facets from this world until the eighties? Definitely not."

"Right," Emma slowly drew out the word as she remembered the reality of fairy tales, the moment of realization aging her temporarily to make her appear twenty-nine again. "Wait, so...how old _are _you?"

Emma stopped drying the plate she had in her possession at that moment and turned her head to look at Regina so she could see the woman when she answered. Her blunt and blurted out question made her look and sound like her currently eighteen year old self once again so when Regina looked at Emma, a little offended by the question, she slowly relaxed into a more calm state.

Emma's magically revisited youth seemed to be the only thing that kept Regina from yelling at the blonde for her age related question like she would have if Emma were technically still twenty-nine.

Instead of biting off Emma's head, something she actually hadn't done in a while, Regina sighed and answered.

"I'm about six years older than your mother so I guess the best answer, one I feel _slightly_ comfortable stating at least, would be 'old enough to be your mother'. Although, since you're currently eighteen, I'm closer to being your..._grandmother_."

Regina had paused before she bitterly spoke the title "grandmother" as if that word tasted like spoiled milk in her mouth.

Emma wrinkled her nose, but didn't respond in any other negative way.

"And...I guess you actually _are _my grandmother," Emma started as she slowly made the realization. "If Snow White is my mom and you're the Evil Queen that married her dad, that means you're my step-grandmo– "

"Don't you dare finish that sentence," Regina warned, though her tone held no anger or forceful command. It was almost a plea when she flicked her eyes from the sink to Emma.

Emma immediately closed her mouth, but her lips quickly curled up in a smirk.

"Looks like someone's sensitive about her age," Emma teased.

"I am not," Regina argued. "I have no reason to be."

"Really," Emma asked, her smirk still present when she she raised an eyebrow.

"Yes. I'll have you know that biologically I'm still the exact age I was when I enacted the curse plus the amount of time I've lived _after_ you brokethe curse."

"And how old where you then?"

"Early to mid-thirties," Regina proudly said. "There's still plenty this body can do."

Unable to restrain herself, Emma looked Regina up and down after she heard the woman's admission. She not-too-subtly checked Regina out. In fact, she was blatantly obvious about it.

"Just because you're proud of that fact doesn't mean you have to tease me like this," Emma said as her eyes slowly roamed over Regina's breasts up to the woman's chocolate brown eyes.

Regina's heart skipped a beat and her lips parted in shock at Emma's words.

Emma cleared her throat and blushed.

"Sorry, I'm still a little tipsy and kind of...well, I don't want to say, but I _will _tell you I really liked sitting in your lap today. Also, I want to apologize for that too. You're being nice enough to let me stay here and I sort of attacked you."

Regina stuttered a bit before she found her voice again.

"You may have taken me by surprise, but I'd hardly call that an attack."

"Attack, to me, is any unwanted contact. Are you saying you wanted it?"

"All I'm saying," Regina took her time to correct Emma and ensure she made her point clear. "Is that you weren't rough with me and I'm confident that if I'd specifically told you to stop, you would have."

"Why _didn't_ you say stop?"

Regina let out a tired sigh.

"I tried to push you off. Was that not enough refusal for you," Regina somewhat playful asked.

Hurt flashed across Emma's face, but she quickly hid hit with anger.

"No, that was plenty of rejection. Thank you."

Emma slammed a plate into the drying rack and left the kitchen in a huff.

Regina closed her eyes and heavily leaned on the edge of the sink like it was the only thing that could hold her up at that point.

Emma marched past the living room toward the staircase, but didn't make it past Henry without being stopped.

"Hey, Emma," Henry called out from this spot on the couch. "Will you watch the rest of this movie with me now?"

Emma tried to take a deep breath and mask her anger before she looked at Henry, but she only achieved half of that goal.

"Not right now, kid," Emma bit out as she carelessly threw the words over her shoulder before she continued toward the stairs.

Henry frowned and looked more angry than hurt. When he heard Emma slam the guest room door shut, he loudly called out for Regina.

"Mom!"

A few seconds later, Regina appeared in the living room and looked a little disheveled from the speed at which she responded to him.

"What is it, sweetheart?"

"What did you do," Henry asked in a slightly accusatory tone though his voice wavered toward the end of the question.

"What do you mean?"

"Emma."

"Oh," Regina physically deflated.

"She won't watch this movie with me and wouldn't even look at me when I asked if would join me!"

And in that moment, Regina got to witness her son break right in front of her over something Emma had done.

"Henry, I'm sorry," Regina instantly went into soothing mother mode and hurried over to the couch.

Regina lifted his blanket covered legs and laid them across her lap as she sat down beside him.

"Emma's just...she's going through something and I'm trying to figure out what exactly it is. I'm not doing a very good job, am I.''

She didn't phrase it as a question; not when she though it to be the truth.

Henry picked at the blanket and kept his eyes on the royal blue fleece, on the the verge of tears.

"I know you want Emma to watch this with you, but how about I sit with you instead? I'll even watch whatever comes on after it. The whole thing. How does that sound?"

Henry looked up and when he met his brunette mother's eyes, he slowly smiled.

"Yeah, sounds good."

Regina warmly smiled back at him.

"I love you," she said as she leaned in and kissed his cheek.

"I love you too," he said as she pulled back.

Regina patted Henry's legs over the blanket and sat back.

Henry picked up the remote, which he kept at his side on the couch, and turned up the volume a little.

* * *

Regina had to wake Henry up at the end of the second movie, but that was only after the discomfort of falling asleep on the couch sitting up had awoken her. She helped him up the stairs and into bed, let him tuck himself in, and kissed his forehead before she said, "Goodnight."

Once she'd turned off the lights and closed his bedroom door, she headed straight for the guest room.

She knocked her knuckles on the door three times, but didn't wait for a response before she went in.

Emma sat on the bed with her knees to her chest and her hands clasped over her wrists around her ankles. She perked up a little and lifted her chin off her knees to stare straight into Regina's eyes. She looked sad. If Regina stared long enough she could compare Emma's look to the heartbroken one Henry had given her before they watched those holiday movies together.

"I know that whatever made you become eighteen again is serious, but between you and Henry, our son comes first. You really don't know how much you keep hurting him, do you?"

Regina didn't hold back, her anger and frustration evident.

Emma dropped her chin onto her knees again and held herself tighter. With every second that passed, the closer Emma seemed to tears.

Regina instantly softened.

"I get the 'Tough Mom' act you're trying," Emma started. "But I don't need a lecture right now."

"I've tried to be patient with you," Regina said, no longer angry as she walked towered the bed. "I've given you space, I've tried to let you work things out on your own. So far all that's done is lead you to more crime and shutting me out."

Emma's bottom lip started to quiver and she swallowed the lump in her throat.

"Will you tell me what happened today," Regina asked as she sat down on the edge of the bed. "Or at least what I did to upset you...twice?"

A tear fell from Emma's eyes closely followed by another. Emma quickly reached under her glasses and wiped away the tears one by one.

"Did you get your car back," Regina asked as she leaned forward to try and make eye contact with the blonde.

Emma mirthlessly laughed and more tears fell. After a moment, she shook her head and sobbed.

"No," Emma shakily said. "I should have, but–"

Emma cut herself off and wiped away more tears before she turned away from Regina on the bed, still curled up.

"I didn't get the car," Emma finished and tried to sound stronger than she appeared.

"Why?"

Emma sniffled.

"..Neal."

Regina gritted her teeth, her jaw noticeably tense. The mention of Henry's father always managed to set her on edge for several reasons and that time was no exception.

Emma took a deep breath and steeled herself. She forced her tears away again and buried the pain, a bad coping method she relied on throughout the years.

"Did he take the car from you," Regina asked while she watched Emma change from crying teen to composed adult. Though she remained eighteen, she looked closer to her older self in that moment.

"No, I gave it to him," Emma quietly confessed.

"Emma," Regina admonished with disappointment. "You almost had a panic attack because you didn't have your car. Now you have the chance to get it back you just throw it away?"

Emma vehemently shook her head and glared at Regina.

"I didn't throw it away!"

"Then why would you give Neal the car?"

"I just wanted him to go away. He's always there. Everywhere I go. It's not fair!"

"Why isn't it fair?"

"Because he _left _me. He doesn't get to hang around as a reminder. He made his choice. Why won't he just leave and stay gone?"

Regina looked at Emma with sympathy and understanding.

"Is that why you were drinking earlier," Regina gently asked.

"Yeah," Emma said, unable to make eye contact with Regina. "After you left me–"

"I already told you I left, I didn't leave _you_."

"I didn't know where you were. People usually don't tell me where they're going, but that's because they never come back. I thought...maybe you took Henry and were trying to get away from me."

Regina took a deep breath and held it for a moment, tense as she struggled with what to do next.

"Okay," Regina breathed out. "Would it better if I let you know where I'm going, even if it _is _just to work?"

"Well, when you put like that I sound so clingy," Emma frowned just shy of a pout.

"Yes, well, you've proven to be quite a handful."

Emma cocked her head to the side and stared at Regina, unamused.

"I'll make you a deal," Regina started after a few seconds. "I'll leave you a note any time I leave before you wake up. That is...if you haven't decided to stay at your apartment. Know that you always have options, Emma."

"I...I want to stay here."

"Okay. Then here's the other part of the deal, no drinking while you're staying here."

Emma mulled it over for a moment.

"Okay. I can do that."

"Good. Now get some sleep. I'm sure you'll need it considering the headache you'll likely have tomorrow."

Regina stood and headed toward the door when Emma stopped her.

"Wait, Regina..."

Regina turned and patiently waited for Emma to continue.

"Thanks," Emma quietly, almost sheepishly, said with a lopsided smile.

Regina returned it with a warm but rare smile of her own.

"You're welcome," Regina said. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight, Regina."

Emma's smile spread into a grin as she watched the brunette leave. Her eyes glittered when the drifted from Regina's dark hair down to the woman's ass. She waited until Regina closed the door before she removed her glasses for bed, determined not to miss a thing.

* * *

Like the morning before, Regina had prepared breakfast and Henry joined her in the kitchen only seconds after she set out his plate. Neither of them spoke a word to each other aside from their usual "good morning" greeting until Henry had shoveled half of his breakfast into his mouth.

"Did you talk to Emma," Henry asked before he swallowed his food.

"I did," Regina relied before she brought a small bite of her own breakfast to her mouth.

"There's a lot of stuff happening with her, isn't there."

Yet again when it came to Henry, he hadn't asked the question. He stated it like a fact.

"Yes," she slowly said. "She needs...a lot of attention."

"Attention from you?"

"In general. But...she came _here_ so yes, attention from me. Henry...I really want this to work, but I- I'm not sure I can give you _and _Emma the same amount of attention," Regina sadly and apologetically said.

"I get it," Henry said with a quick nod. "She needs someone, right? Someone to kind of look out for her?"

"I believe so. She's her own person, but she's been hurt a lot."

"Okay, so how do we fix it?"

"Well, I think it might be better if...I focus on Emma."

Henry stopped eating and looked up seriously at Regina.

"I agree."

Regina looked awestruck and was stunned into silence. She took a minute to process what her son had said. He had agreed with her. He had readily agreed that Emma needed more attention than him and even if he had yet to understand what that meant for their living arrangement. He seemed on board with anything that would help Emma.

"Well, in order to do that," Regina cautiously started, unsure of how Henry would accept her plan. "I think it might be best if you stay with your grandparents."

Henry seemed to take a minute to think that over.

"Okay," he agreed again.

"Really? You would be okay with that?"

"Yeah, you just said Emma needs more attention. Give it to her. The sooner we fix whatever problems she has, the better things will be for all of us."

"You understand that I'm not abandoning you."

"Mom, I know you'd never leave me."

"And you know that I'm _not _choosing Emma over you, right? Not really."

"Mom," he chuckled. "Emma needs help, more than I do. You keep telling me I was always difficult growing up, but I'm pretty sure Emma takes the cake when it comes to difficult children."

Regina cracked a small smile at that.

"You're still difficult at times," Regina playfully warned him with a pointed finger. "But yes, she's something else."

"You made a promise to me not to use magic for small stuff, only for good things and if anyone's in danger. Well, now you can promise me that you'll help Emma. Even if that means I have to stay somewhere else."

Regina smiled at him and reached out to run a hand through his hair.

"I'm so proud of you."

"Does this mean I earned myself a really big, really cool Christmas present? Maybe a real sword or a puppy?"

Regina chuckled and pulled her hand away from Henry's hair.

"We'll see," Regina warned in a tone that told Henry not to get his hopes up.

Henry beamed and got up. He went into the kitchen and dropped his plate in the sink. He ran water over it for a few seconds, turned off the tap, and headed back toward Regina.

"Um, I know he's only supposed to see me on weekends, but do you think I could stay with Neal instead of Grandma and Gramps?"

Regina slowly released a tense sigh.

"If that's what you want, I'll drop you off at his apartment after school," Regina answered.

"Really," Henry excitedly perked up and smiled, hopeful.

"You're helping Emma as much as I am by letting me take care of her without you here," Regina said. "The least I can do is let you stay where you want."

"Awesome!

Regina laughed and stood.

"Time for school. Let's go," she said.

Regina guided Henry away from the dining room and into the foyer. She stopped at the end table and grabbed a pen and a fancy note card from her personal stationary that she rarely used but still kept in her study. She wrote out a note addressed to Emma while Henry stood beside her and watched. She signed it and quickly left it on the kitchen island before she came back to the end table, grabbed her purse, and gently pushed Henry out the door with her.

"Why'd you leave it in the kitchen," Henry asked as Regina locked up behind them.

"You know Emma. She can't go five minutes without eating. The kitchen is the first place she'll go."

Henry smiled and Regina turned away from the door once she had locked it. The two of them went to the Benz and left for the day.

* * *

About an hour after Regina and Henry left, Emma was awake and, as predicted, went straight into the kitchen.

Though her target was the refrigerator, she spotted the off-white note card propped up by a vase occupied by orchids. The card had a message written by a beautiful and elegant hand. Emma had only seen calligraphy look as nice as the writing presented to her and when she realized who the note was from, her shock grew tenfold before she smiled and read it.

_Emma, _

_ Took Henry to school and went to work. If you haven't gone through the entire kitchen yet, there's a plate of food on the counter by the microwave I made for you. I'll be home around five. Try not to get into any trouble while I'm gone. I'll reward you with your favorite meal for dinner if you don't. Hopefully incentives will be enough motivation for you to finally listen to me._

– _Regina_

Emma's smile only brightened after she read the note, especially when she looked up to see the plate on the counter Regina had mentioned. She set the note down in front of the orchids and went to the plate. She uncovered it to reveal pancakes with a side of two sausage links and three bacon strips.

"Oh, hell yes," Emma said to the empty house and put the plate in the microwave.

She wasted no time before she heated up the plate. Once she ate it, she cleaned not only her dish but the one Henry had left in the sink and set them in the drying rack.

She turned back to the island and bit her bottom lip as she smiled, her eyes focused solely on the note. She knew Regina had agreed to leave them for her if she wasn't awake to know Regina and Henry had left, but part of her didn't expect her to stay true to her word. Regina owed her absolutely nothing after all and it wasn't like Emma had ever felt she was worth it to be left notes and such. She'd even confessed that to Regina that no one else ever bothered to tell her they were leaving before Emma was on her own again.

At eighteen, the first time around, Emma might not have ever done what she did next even if someone had cared enough to leave a note, but _that_ time around she wanted to keep the reminder that maybe she wasn't so worthless after all. So Emma took the note and went up to the guest room. She opened the only drawer to the bedside table and placed the note inside it with a smile that had yet to fade. She closed the drawer and headed back downstairs with her cell phone in hand with the screen ready for her to type out a text. She started to compose one after she reached the bottom of the stairs and blindly walked into the living room, her eyes cast down on what she typed.

"_Thanks for the note and even bigger thanks for breakfast. So good! By the way, do you even know what my favorite meal is?"_

After a few minutes, once she'd found a movie she felt like watching, a reply came from "Hot Ass Mayor." When she'd changed her ringtone, she also updated some of her contacts.

"**I'm glad you liked it. Henry only got one sausage link and one bacon strip. Consider yourself lucky, Miss Swan. Unless being eighteen again has changed things, your favorite meal is my lasagna. Has that changed?"**

Emma grinned and instantly typed out a reply.

"_I've never had your lasagna. 18 again , remember? But I'd be willing to try it. And who's running this town if you're spending your time texting me? Regina, are you shirking your responsibilities for some girl? I foresee a small town scandal in the works."_

"**You'd like that, wouldn't you. Headlines reading 'Mayor Mills Seduces Young Girl'. I'm sure they'd leave out the part where that young girl sought after that unsuspecting older woman."**

"_Still texting! If there's no work to be done, why not just come home and watch a movie with me? It's boring here."_

"**Ah, but there IS work to be done. Another reason you should consider yourself lucky. I've had to read the same paragraph three times now because of your need to distract me."**

"_You think I'm distracting? You have to be more interested in the distraction than what you're doing if that distraction is actually distracting you. Just saying."_

"**You always have such a way with words, dear."**

"_Term of endearment. Another sign that you like me."_

"**The longer I spend talking to you, the less I like you."**

"_Then why do you keep responding?"_

Emma knowingly smirked as she waited for Regina's response, but after five minutes without a single text from Regina she started to feel as worthless as she had before she found the note.

But then her phone started to ring with the default ringtone and when she looked down to check the caller ID, she saw that she was receiving a call from "Hot Ass Mayor".

Emma quizzically furrowed her brow before her lips curled into a small smile and she answered the phone.

"Hello?"

"Why do I have a feeling you can't be left alone for even an hour," Regina said, only slightly agitated and more playful.

"Maybe because I like getting to you," Emma replied as her grin from earlier returned.

"Well, I've got a lot to do today," Regina started. "Fortunately for us both, the morning only consists of paperwork otherwise I wouldn't have sent those texts in the first place."

"Sure," Emma sarcastically drew out the word.

Emma could feel Regina roll her eyes on the other end of the line when the brunette hadn't said anything right away.

"There's something I'd like to talk to you about in person," Regina said after a moment. "If you refrain from sending texts and keeping me from my work, I'll come home for lunch and make you something. Think you can handle that?"

Emma wanted to keep up the banter, but she fell back on her old habit of assuming the worst and frowned.

"Is what you want to talk about bad? Did I do something wrong?"

"No," Regina quickly and calmly assured her. "No, Emma, it's not you."

"Are you sure? I can just go. I can find my apartment and just leave you and Henry alone, really."

"Emma, it's fine," Regina said. "It's actually about Henry. Everything is okay, but I don't want you to be surprised or upset about my decision. Will you agree to have lunch with me? I promise it's nothing bad. At least, I'm hoping you won't mind."

"You really aren't making me feel any better. Why can't you just tell me now?"

"Because it's not something I want you to have to deal with by yourself or hear over the phone. Can you trust me when I say it's not bad and it's not your fault?"

"I don't trust anyone," Emma said as she continued to frown.

"I know. Please, Emma. I'll be there around noon. That's the earliest I can leave the office. We'll talk and I won't leave until I know you're okay with everything. Does that seem reasonable?"

Emma sighed and hesitated as she thought about it.

"Okay," Emma quietly said. "Can you make me meatball sub?"

Regina lightly laughed.

"The meatballs will take too long. I make them myself. I can make it for you later, but not for lunch."

"Then will you make me a chicken salad sandwich? You already have leftover chicken in the fridge."

"That I can do."

Emma smiled.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome. See you at noon."

"'Kay."

"See you later, Emma," Regina said with a teasing smile Emma could hear in the sound of her voice.

"Bye, Regina" Emma smiled in return.

* * *

Three movies later, a key turned in the front door and Regina walked into the house. Ten minutes past noon and Emma realized Regina only made deals and promises she planned, and always seemed, to keep.

"Emma?"

Emma heard Regina call out from the foyer and caused her smile. Instead of making Regina come to her, she got off the couch and went to Regina.

"Hi," Emma smiled as she took Regina's purse and set it down on the end table before she helped the woman out of her coat.

Regina moved slowly as Emma started to remove her coat, confused as to why Emma would do such a thing. She let it happen nonetheless, but she turned to Emma as the blonde hung the coat on the rack and stared at the teen with confusion and surprise in her brown eyes.

Emma's smile widened and when she spoke, she let Regina know that she had read her mind.

"You're making me lunch and hopefully dinner. The least I can do is make your day a little easier. What better way then to cater to you a little?"

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were trying to impress me," Regina said before her face light up and her lips curled into an alluring grin.

"If I _was _trying to impress you, would it be working," Emma asked while her eyes flirtatiously glittered.

"Maybe," Regina played along with her ever present grin. "If you weren't eighteen."

Emma rolled her eyes.

"I'll sweep you off your feet sooner or later," Emma said as she followed Regina into the kitchen.

"You're that confident in yourself, dear?"

"I wouldn't be if you didn't respond so well to my flirting."

"Mm, but that's all it'll be."

"I don't mind," Emma said as she stepped up behind Regina as the brunette stood at the kitchen counter.

Emma pressed her front against Regina's back and smirked as she rested her hands on the counter top on either side of Regina.

"The way I flirt makes things interesting," Emma purred.

"My dear, you couldn't handle the way _I _flirt," Regina warned with a grin as she grabbed Emma's hands and removed them from the counter while she turned to face the blonde.

"I doubt that," Emma challenged and prevented Regina from walking away from her.

Regina looked over Emma's determined features and, after a moment, grinned with more mischief and lust that resembled more of her Evil Queen side. Her eyes darkened and she slowly walked Emma backward into the edge of another counter.

"That's because I'm holding back," Regina said in a voice lower than any tone she'd ever used with Young Emma.

Regina's eyes slowly fell from Emma's down to the blonde's stomach as she brought her hand to Emma's right hip. Once she lightly touched Emma there, her eyes followed the path her hand made up Emma's side.

When Regina's hand reached the spot underneath her right breast, Emma's breath hitched.

Regina's eyes flicked up from her own hand to look into Emma's eyes.

"You're too young for me," Regina quietly said, her lips tantalizingly close to Emma's. "And..."

Regina paused in her speech while her hand traveled up to Emma's hair with a feather-light touch.

Emma's eyes fluttered shut as soon as she felt Regina play with her ponytail in a way that sent tingles down her spine and caused goosebumps to appear all over. It didn't take long before the sensation reached her nipples and hardened them into visible peaks through her shirt.

"You have no idea what I'm capable of," Regina huskily finished.

Emma's eyes instantly shot open and focused on Regina's. Not long after she looked into Regina's eyes, she grinned at the brunette.

"Better be careful," Emma playfully warned. "Wouldn't want to send the wrong signals, right?"

Regina's eyes returned to their normal hue and her lips parted in shock.

Emma bit her bottom lip as she grinned and gently pushed past Regina to free herself from her sandwiched position between the other woman and the counter.

"You are impossible," Regina said as she turned around and faced Emma as the blonde went to the refrigerator.

Emma looked over her shoulder and chuckled.

"And you said you know me," Emma teased. "I might be a handful, but I'm not helpless. I can manage."

"That you can," Regina said more to herself than Emma, though Emma heard every word, before she cleared her throat and smoothed out her pantsuit. "I came here to discuss Henry."

"You said that on the phone this morning," Emma said as she spun on her heels, her back to the island.

Emma placed her hands on either side of herself on the island counter top and pulled herself up on it. She slid back a little, but still let her legs dangle over the edge of the counter with the backs of her thighs pressed down on the counter top.

"Yes, well," Regina started as she walked around the island and went to the refrigerator. "I've talked with him and, due to my struggles to take care of him and watch over you, if he stays here it may just hurt him more than he and I want it to help him."

"That's my fault, isn't it," Emma stated with furrowed brows and a frown as she looked over her shoulder at Regina.

"It's nobody's fault, dear," Regina said as she pulled open the refrigerator and searched for what she needed to make Emma's lunch.

"But I'm a handful."

"_Henry_ is willing to let you stay. He has places he can go," Regina said as she reached into the fridge and pulled out the chicken.

"He shouldn't have to go. This is his house," Emma said, crestfallen and guilty. "_I_ should go."

"Emma," Regina seriously said as she placed the chicken on the island counter top behind the blonde, her eyes focused on the teen as she spoke. "You came here for a reason. Henry understands that. He's okay with going somewhere else so I can focus on you."

"Where's he gonna go?"

"Neal's," Regina said and never looked away from Emma.

Emma scoffed and rolled her eyes.

"Of course he is," the blonde grumbled.

"It was Henry's choice, not Neal's. I suggested his grandparents' place, but he prefers to spend his time elsewhere right now. I'm not going to deny him what he wants when he's letting himself be tossed aside for his mother. Are you?"

"Like I said," Emma raised her voice. "_I'll _go. He shouldn't have to suffer."

"He'll continue to suffer until you reverse the spell. Only when you fix whatever it is that's bothering you will he be able to feel loved by you!"

Emma looked so wounded, her mouth agape and her eyes wide as she stammered out sounds of unintelligible shock.

Regina took a deep breath and released it in a long sigh to calm herself.

"He's doing this for you," Regina added in a softer tone.

"I didn't ask him to," Emma said as though she had a lump in her throat, the words partially choked out.

"You didn't have to. He's a good boy, Emma. He knows you're in pain, as do I. He wants to help and he thinks my idea is just what you need. Let _someone _take care of you for once. Even if that happens to be your twelve year old son."

Emma looked down, her chin almost to her chest.

"Besides," Regina started again. "It's a little ridiculous to expect an eighteen year old to put her son first, especially since you technically haven't even given birth to him yet."

"He deserves better than me," Emma quietly admitted, her voice grittier than it had ever been since she'd cast the spell.

"No," Regina shook her head and walked around the island to stand in front of Emma. "You're a good person, Emma, and a good mother. You do love him and you're more than willing to fight for him. He needs a hero to look up to and that usually isn't me. You're strong, stronger than me because my strength usually comes from revenge and other dark places. He's lucky to have you in his life."

"But...what good am I doing to prove that right now?"

"It's going to take some work, but I'm willing to put in the time if you are. Let Henry do this for you and show him how thankful you are by reversing the spell."

Emma looked down and sheepishly nodded before she sniffled.

"God," Emma choked out. "Spells. I still can't believe this is _real_."

"Still," Regina repeated with a furrowed brow.

Emma snapped her head up and looked at Regina with wide eyes. Within a second, the wide eyed expression turned into Emma's usual demeanor.

"Yeah, I mean, since this happened," Emma motioned a hand over herself. "It's hard to think this isn't just a normal day in two thousand one."

Regina narrowed her eyes to consider Emma, suspicious. After a moment, she relaxed and let it go.

"I was thinking of getting a Christmas tree at the end of the week. We can pick Henry up from school, pick one out, and decorate it," Regina said as she walked back around the counter before she started to cut up the chicken.

"Um, sure?"

"Usually Henry and I get the tree a little earlier, but with everything that's happened our priorities changed."

"And you want _me _to help with all of this?"

"Of course," Regina said when she looked up at Emma.

"I'll just screw everything up. It's your tradition with Henry. I don't want to get in the way," Emma said.

"Like Henry would let you get out of it," Regina chuckled. "I'm sure he would have wanted to do this with you last Christmas, but there was always some threat to the town. And at one time that threat was me."

"You're okay with that? The Christmas tree stuff, I mean?"

"I wasn't okay with it then, but now...we're stuck with each other. Henry binds us together so we're going to have to deal with family holidays and things like co-parenting. Nothing can change that. It is what it is."

"You don't sound happy about that," Emma noted.

Regina smiled, but kept her eyes on the task at hand.

"The last eight months have been interesting. I can't say I _hate _that we're stuck with each other, but I also think it's a little soon to associate 'happy' with the experience. I've never used that word to describe anything."

"Not even about Henry," Emma asked, genuinely surprised.

"No," Regina said. "Not that he doesn't make me ha– ...Anything that made me happy, anything I loved, was always taken from me. I've already admitted that I love Henry and I don't regret that, but it's nearly cost him his life on at least two occasions."

Emma's eyes slowly showed understanding.

"You're still afraid of losing him."

Regina stopped what she was doing and looked up. She flashed her fake, politician smile she'd often used when speaking with Adult Emma before she replied.

"Every day."

"You can't live your life being afraid," Emma said as she spun on the counter top to face more toward Regina. "That's going to be what keeps you from being truly happy."

"Don't you know," Regina asked with a sad smile. "I'm a villain. Villains don't get happy endings."

Emma reached out and placed her hand over Regina's.

"You stopped being a villain the day you decided other things matter more than vengeance and death and causing others pain," Emma told her.

Regina's breath caught in her throat when she felt Emma touch her and looked straight into green eyes.

"I see you, Regina," Emma smiled at her. "The _real _you."

Speechless. Regina was speechless. She had no idea if Emma meant what she said from her eighteen year old self's perspective or if there was something Emma hadn't told her, something about the spell. Either way, Emma had robbed her of words. What a thief.

Regina shook her head to break out of her thoughts and cleared her throat. She finished cutting up the chicken and started to add the other ingredients to the chicken salad.

"So, you can accept that Henry will be in Neal's care," Regina asked.

Emma took a deep breath.

"Yeah, I'll live," she said and smiled, sincere though it was small. "I trust your decision."

Regina smiled back.

"Okay then," Regina said before she checked the time.

"Once I'm done with the chicken salad, I'll leave you to make your sandwich. But I recommend putting in the refrigerator and letting it chill for a while before eating it. It tastes better cold."

"Noted."

Emma stepped closer to Regina and grazed her front against the other woman's side. She leaned over the counter a bit and snatched a strip of chicken. She smirked as Regina turned to her and watched her eat it, displeased and unimpressed.

"Thank you," Emma said with her mouth full of food.

"Mhmm," Regina playfully hummed her disapproval of Emma's action.

* * *

Though it would have been easier for Neal to pick Henry up from school and take him back to his apartment himself, Regina preferred to hand Henry over in person. She trusted that her son wouldn't run off like he had to find Emma in Boston over a year ago because he _wanted_ to be with Neal, but she still had to know he made it there safely regardless.

When she walked up to the building with Henry, she spotted the dented yellow bug she used to hate seeing around town. As soon as she saw it, she narrowed her eyes at the car and resisted the urge to growl.

Henry looked up at Regina when he felt her grip his shoulder and saw her expression directed at Emma's car in the parking lot. He shrugged it off under the impression that Regina never liked Emma's car and had only recently started to acceptEmma herself. Once they were at Neal's apartment, however, Henry soon realized the truth behind Regina's disdain.

Neal opened the door and smiled at Henry.

"Hey, buddy," Neal greeted and ruffled his hair within seconds.

"Hey," Henry smiled back and walked into the apartment.

Neal and Regina watched him go inside and make his way to the kitchen.

_Just like your birth mother_, Regina thought with a small smile.

After a few seconds, Neal turned back to Regina and the woman's smile quickly disappeared.

"So," Neal drew out the word and awkwardly shifted from foot to foot. "Everything okay?"

"It will be," Regina replied. "Make sure he's well fed and gets to school on time. I'll pick him up from school on Friday, keep him for the night, then you can have him for the weekend like you usually do."

"Why are you gonna take him on Friday?"

"Family time," Regina tersely answered with a sharp stare directed at Neal. "Though it's really none of your business."

"It is when it's _my _family."

Regina clenched her jaw for a moment and straightened out her rigid posture even more before she spoke again.

"Henry may biologically be your son and he made want to get to know you for that reason, but do _not _mistake him or Emma for your family when you decided to walk away from them."

"I did that _for_ Emma! Because of _your _curse! I didn't even know about Henry. If I had I would have–"

"Being there for Henry is being there for Emma," Regina argued. "You made a decision on her behalf when you chose to listen to some stranger who claimed she needed to fulfill her destiny. Of _all _the ways to make sure she did that, you chose to set her up for a crime you committed."

"Like I said, I did that forher. I had her best interest in mind."

"Oh, right. Carrying your baby for nine months while in prison for your mistake. _That's _what was in her best interest."

"...Why are you here, Regina," Neal growled through gritted teeth.

"I'm here because _my _son wanted to be here instead of going to his grandparents'."

"Why? What's going on that he can't stay with you? You think you're so much better than me, especially when it comes to taking care of Henry. Why does he need to go anywhere other than your place?"

"In case your pea brain doesn't remember, Emma isn't exactly in the best state of mind to help care for him."

Neal's expression softened in realization.

"Right. The spell," he said. "Is she okay?"

"She'll be fine. She has someone looking out for her," Regina dismissively answered.

"Wait, she's staying with you, isn't she? _You're _looking out for her?"

"Yes."

"What the hell are you getting out of it?"

"You think I'm looking out for her simply because there's something for me to be rewarded with for my time spent?"

"Uh, yeah," Neal said in a "duh" tone of voice.

"Well, like you and Emma, I also know what it's like to be abandoned. But _unlike _you, I know how to be there for someone when no one else is."

"You're staying with her?"

Regina hesitated as she thought about how much to share with the man responsible for some of Emma's issues. After only a couple of seconds, she replied.

"I have no intention to leave her," Regina said with all seriousness.

Neal stood there with his mouth wide open. He blinked several times throughout his silence, but had yet to form a response. With a furrowed brow, he suspiciously stared at Regina with a clear distrust for the woman.

"Listen, Mr. Cassady, I'll remind you again and again if I have to that Emma is no longer your concern. She is not yours and she doesn't seem to want your help. Now, take care of the one person who actually wants you around. Henry."

Regina turned and took a step toward the stairs before she remembered something and spun back around to face Neal.

"Oh, and I want Emma's car parked outside of my house by eight AM tomorrow."

"It's actually my–"

"It actually isn't," Regina quickly shot back. "As far as I understand it, you gave her that car. She's driven it around for the last eleven years from place to place and she's made hers. That car will be returned to her without any further discussion. If the car isn't at my house tomorrow morning, I'll take my chances with bringing Henry home and dealing with both him and Emma myself.

"It seems you have a decision to make, Mr. Cassady. And I guarantee that if you don't choose Henry, I _will_ come back here and give you a taste of my overprotective personality. Think about that."

Regina turned again to leave and that time made it all the way down the stairs and out the apartment building door without the need to say anything else to Neal.

Neal shut the door and puffed out a sigh, seemingly worn out and frustrated with the situation.

Henry, however, stood out of sight in the kitchen with a smile on his face and a glass of juice in his hand.

* * *

**A/N: Leave a review so I can know what you liked or didn't like. I'll try to have the next chapter or two updated later today or sometime tomorrow. Just in case that doesn't happen, Merry Christmas/Happy Holidays! :)**


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